


Always, Spencer

by non_andare



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Bottom Reid, Bottom Spencer Reid, Colonel Aaron Hotchner, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, M/M, No BAU, Psychological Torture, Rating May Change, Scientist Spencer Reid, Top Aaron, Top Aaron Hotchner, Top Hotch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:24:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4370060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/non_andare/pseuds/non_andare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Spencer Reid never thought that he'd be kidnapped. But then again, he never thought hot badass NSA agent and Colonel Aaron Hotchner would be there to come rescue him. Clearly, anything is possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Call Me Maybe

"Hey Reid, can you give me a five?" Emily asked, her crimson lips upturned in a saccharine sweet smile.

"Your womanly wiles won't work on Spencer, Em. He's not into women." JJ shook her head morosely. Her baby blue eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Yeah, well I'm not going to remove my lady parts or get man parts for five freaking dollars." Emily said, holding her hand out impatiently. JJ chuckled at her remark as Spencer deposited a crinkled five-dollar bill into her waiting palm.

"And when will I get my five dollars back, Ms. Prentiss?" Spencer asked, running a hand through his hair. JJ leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"You're the genius; figure it out."

"Give me the rest of your lunch money, nerd!" Emily demanded, lowering her voice into a comically deep grunt and balling her hands up into crude fists. Spencer laughed at the sight; in another life, Emily Prentiss could very well be a badass fighter, but for now she was still badass, just a badass fashion designer with very very high power connections.

"Please don't hurt me! I-I think I need an inhaler!" Spencer pretended to gasp for breath and pushed his glasses up his nose, snivelling. The trio burst into laughter, staring at each other with tears of joy streaming down the cheeks. They soon settled into a comfortable silence.

Emily stood up and got a coffee with the five dollars she borrowed from Spencer. His two best friends had a habit of borrowing money from him and never paying him back. Over the six years of their friendship, the pair had come to owe him a total of $896.75. But he didn't plan on collecting anytime soon; as far as he was concerned, their friendship and loyalty was more than enough payment.

And Emily and JJ only became closer with him when they found out that he was gay. They teased him about it, but he knew that they loved him like sisters. They constantly sent him on blind dates, most of which turned out horrible, but it warmed his heart to know that they wanted him to find someone too.

"Earth to Dr. Reid!" JJ snapped her fingers in front of his face, causing him to blink at her in confusion. "I thought I lost you buddy." She said, a familiar teasing smile stretching her lips. He smiled back at her.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He said, sipping his coffee as Emily raised her eyebrow at him. Yummy. Sugar and caffeine; his favorite molecules.

"About what? Not knot theory again!" Emily said, grinning cheesily. "See what I did there?"

"Hilarious, but no." Reid replied with a deadpan stare. He was mastering that look now, thanks to the tutelage of the two ladies in front of him. They had apparently taught him how to be a 'real gay man'. "I was thinking about how lucky I am to have friends like you two." He said honestly, watching as surprise flickered across their faces.

Emily recovered first, her face splitting into a too-wide grin, her classic response to any discussion of feelings regarding her. "You are really lucky, Spence. Not just any guy gets to have friends who steal his money." She said. JJ nodded seriously beside her.

"And not just any guy has two smoking hot best friends." JJ added. Spencer laughed.

"Yeah, well I'm not just any guy, huh?" He said,managing to be flirtatious. This came easily between him and his best friends; if he tried this with a guy though, he'd probably end up tongue tied and make a huge fool of himself.

"Yeah. You're gay." Emily stated, emphasizing the last word.

"As in homosexual." JJ added helpfully.

"Really? I had no idea." Spencer said, rolling his eyes and sipping his coffee. The trio just smiled at each other for a moment, settling into a comfortable silence. Spencer enjoyed these biweekly, usually triweekly luncheons. They were becoming fewer and farther between nowadays though, with the heat from his job building up.

"Anyways, how's working for Foyet?" JJ asked, waggling her eyebrows. Spencer rolled his eyes for the second time that afternoon. JJ had the strangest idea that he and his boss should get together. "Or should I call him George?"

"Um, no you shouldn't. And it's... okay." He said, downplaying the stress. The ladies gave him their best 'bitch, please' faces. "Fine. He's been pushing me to develop the biological serum faster."

JJ leaned forward in her seat, her eyes sparking with interest. Emily looked incredibly bored, leaning back and playing on her phone. "Really? What's the serum? Why is it so important?"

"What is this, an interrogation? You know I can't tell you that, Jayje." Spencer said remorsefully. Despite the many perks of working for defense contractors for the government, everything he did was confidential.

"You can't tell future employees?" JJ said coyly. Spencer put his cup of coffee down, grateful that he hadn't sipped it while JJ spoke because he would surely spit it all out.

"Oh my god. Really?" He asked, and JJ nodded enthusiastically. "We're going to work together!" He exclaimed, resisting the urge to shriek.

JJ clearly had less self control than him because she did shriek. "I know right?! We've been dreaming of this for like, forever!"

"Four years, three months, and twenty one days." He supplied automatically, causing Emily to look up from her phone and cough "nerd" at him. "It's just... wow. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked accusingly.

"I meant to, but I literally found out last night and Will and I talked about this morning and we sent in the affirmation." JJ said, waving her arms excitedly, much like Spencer did when he was fired up about something.

"Wow, Jayje. I'm really happy for you. This is your dream job." He said seriously, grasping her smaller hands in his, stroking the soft skin gently. JJ smiled at him, her eyes gentle and prideful.

"Yeah, it is."

"If you two are done squealing like teenage girls-" Both the alleged teenage girls let out noises of dissent at this, but Emily continued on, glancing at her phone worriedly. "We need to go, Jayje." The girls stood up, their jackets already shrugged on and bags in their hands before Spencer could blink. It must be a female thing because his hands moved sluggishly as he put his own jacket on and grabbed his messenger bag.

"See you soon, Spence." JJ waved goodbye to him and he beamed at her in response, one hand coming up to wave while the other pushed his glasses up his nose, causing her to laugh.

"See you later, Reidigator." Spencer gave Emily a confused look at that nickname. "By the way, I have a friend named Aaron who's very single, very hot, and just your type." She propositioned, waggling her eyebrows like JJ had. Spencer wrinkled his nose up in distaste. He wasn't really in the mood to date right now, what with all of the heat he was receiving from Foyet.

"Not likely! I have too much work." He said apologetically and Emily pinched his cheek before leaving. Spencer watched them leave, standing there in his tweed jacket, one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other raised in a half wave for a very long time.

He suddenly felt very lonely. He headed back towards the lab, kicking pebbles as he wandered the streets of Langley. The city-town wasn't very large, but it was infested with government families. Spencer's own family was... estranged, to say the least, with a schizophrenic mother and an absentee father. But he had his support network of friends who loved him and helped him through all of the bad times.

Spencer approached one of the many dreary, identical buildings on the street. Lunch hour was ending just about now, he mused as he observed the other scientists making their way back to their respective laboratories.

Spencer scanned his key card entered the building, striding across the white tiled floor of the grand lobby. He smiled awkwardly at the security guard as he deposited his bag and cellphone and stepped through the metal detector. Once he gathered all of his things, he hurried to the elevator. His cellphone buzzed and he dug through his bag to find it, frowning slightly.

To: Dr. Spencer Reid  
From: Dr. George Foyet  
Message sent at: 3:12 PM  
Where are you? Get up here right now or you're fired.

Spencer adored his job; he was constantly challenged with new problems to solve and it warmed his heart to know that the solutions he presented were being used to help protect his country. He didn't, however, love his boss. JJ liked to joke about them getting together, but he was certain that after just a day of working with Dr. Foyet, she'd understand his dislike.

Spencer plastered an apologetic look on his face as he exited the elevator, knowing that Foyet would corner him any moment now. He hadn't done anything wrong; he was entitled to his lunch hour just like every other employee, but Foyet clearly disagreed.

"Reid!" Foyet called out just as Spencer was putting his lab coat on. He sighed to himself and quickly scurried to the older man's office.

"Yes?" He said politely, standing in the doorway so that he could make a quick escape. The short man (well, short compared to Spencer) looked up from the papers on his desk, aiming a sharp glare at Spencer.

"Don't be so late next time." Spencer resisted the urge to point out that he'd gotten here two minutes after Foyet sent the text. Arguing with his boss would only make matters worse. "How far are you in the development of the serum?"

"It's coming along. I'm running into a problem with one of the chemicals; when it reacts with the sodium hydroxide it creates a precipitate that could cause complications in the test subjects. I'm looking for alternatives." Any remotely decent boss and scientist would offer his advice at this point, but of course, Foyet didn't. He just tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently, clearly growing angrier at every word Spencer spoke.

"How long will it take you to fix this problem?" Spencer rolled his eyes.

"I can't predict that." He said honestly, causing Foyet's glare to intensify. When he first started this job, he had been terrified of Foyet; but years of experience told him that more often than not, Foyet was bluffing. He was just an impatient son of a bitch.

"Get it done soon, or you're fired." Foyet warned, and Spencer rolled his eyes inwardly, nodding his head outwardly. "Get out." Spencer quickly left, not wanting to be in the company of the boorish man for a second longer.

He went to his workplace, pulling his latex gloves on and his safety glasses over his head. Satisfied that his lab desk was clean enough to work on, he retrieved his supplies from underneath his desk. Bunsen burner? Check. State of the art balancing scale? Check. A set of pristine test tubes? Check. Graduated cylinders and beakers? Check. And finally, his test subjects? Check.

"Hi there, Nikolas. Have you been fighting with Albert?" He cooed, scratching the tiny white mouse behind its ears. A black mouse scurried around the cage, nipping at the white mouse's tail. Spencer smiled at the sight; his mice were the only animals that really got along with him, courtesy of the unfortunate Reid Effect. "No, it looks like Albert has been bothering you. It's time to check your vitals." He said, gently placing the mouse onto the examination table, covered with a soft blanket for Nikolas's comfort.

"Don't look so excited, Albert. You're next." He waggled a finger at the black mouse, who seemed to blink up at him innocently.

He got to work, listening to the mouse's heart. He checked its mouth and ears and the rest of its body as well as its blood pressure, treating the mouse with as much care as he would treat a human patient. He had grown quite close to his mice over the three months he had been working on this project; they were no longer just test subjects to him. He spent more time with then than he did with any other living creature, clocking in ten to twelve hours every day. They were his friends.

It was quite lonely in the lab, so Spencer filled the silence with classical music. It sharpened his focus and he set to work, analyzing the problem with his infamous determination and tenacity. 

 

* * *

 

 

 

By the time he figured out why the NaOH was causing a precipitate, it wad already eight o' clock and he was only now beginning to evaluate possible alternatives. He sighed and decided to pack up the rest of his files and evaluate the theoretical alternatives at home.

"Good night Albert! Be nice to Nikolas, okay?" He whispered, placing the black mouse back in its cage. It curled up next to the identical white mouse and yawned, small mouth opening to reveal a pink tongue. Spencer's heart melted at the adorable sight.

He quickly and efficiently cleaned up his workplace, heading outside of his personal lab and to the elevators. Unsurprisingly, all of the other labs were empty, lights turned off. Even Foyer's office door was closed with the lights off inside. This was routine though; Spencer was usually the last one to leave the labs. He didn't have anyone to go home to. Even Foyer must have a family, he thought with a smirk. He sympathized with them.

He decided to head to his favorite diner. He really needed a cup of coffee right now, and the waitress knew him so she could easily whip up her infamous blueberry pancakes, despite the fact that it was dinner time. She understood his strange cravings.

He walked to the diner, the bell tinkling as he entered.

"Late night, Doctor?" The waitress, Sally, asked him when he took a seat at the counter. There was a man sitting next to him, reading some files.

"Yup. Albert needed some food." He said, taking the cup if coffee she gave him gratefully. "You are a lifesaver, Sally."

"Anything for my favorite doctor." She said with a wink, her blonde hair whipping the air as she turned on her heel. Sally was a beautiful woman, but Spencer wasn't interested in her. The man next to him, however, peaked his interest.

He seemed to be just his type. Tall, dark, and brooding. He was clearly muscular, judging by his broad shoulders. His suit looked expensive, indicating a steady job and a good income. He was reading files, so Spencer couldn't see his face.

"Pancakes for the doctor, and a casserole for the Colonel." Sally announced, placing the dishes in front of their respective owners. The Colonel nodded his thanks and Spencer beamed at Sally.

So he was a military man, huh? That explained the muscle and expensive suit... Maybe he was a special agent.

"Pancakes are an interesting choice for dinner." Spencer blinked once, then twice, realizing that the man was talking to him. His voice was quite nice, a deep smooth baritone. And now he was facing Spencer, so he could see his face.

And wow. The Colonel was very handsome. He had jet black hair that looked extremely soft to touch. His skin was clear except for a tiny blemish on his left cheek. His eyes were a molten chocolate, one eyebrow raised elegantly.

"I-I, uh, I had a rough day at work." He stammered out, taking a bite of his pancakes to his his blush.

"Are you a medical doctor?" The Colonel asked, gesturing to Sally with his head.

"No, I'm a scientist. I have Ph.D.'s in Chemistry, Psychology, and Mathematics." Spencer immediately regretted his last sentence. People were intimidated by his intelligence. They thought that it was strange that someone as young as him had so many degrees.

"That's very impressive. What's your favorite subject?" The man asked. Spencer searched his face for any sign of malicious intent. He looked... intrigued.

"I can't choose. They are all so interesting." He said honestly, smiling at the Colonel. The smile he received in return completely disarmed his senses and he stared at the man in front of him for a moment.

"Colonel Aaron Hotchner, it's a pleasure to meet me." The man introduced himself, holding his hand out for Spencer to shake. Spencer waved his hand a little, feeling embarrassed.

"Dr. Spencer Reid. Sorry, I don't shake hands with people. I'm a germaphobe." He disclosed, watching as understanding flickered across Aaron's face, but no other emotion. It was rare for him to find someone who didn't find him weird. Especially a man. "It's very impressive that someone your age is a colonel." Aaron raised his eyebrow at that. "I mean you're really young." Spencer amended hastily.

"Just as impressive as a twenty-something year old having three Ph.D.s." Aaron replied casually. Spencer admired his modesty.

"Were you working late?" He asked, gesturing to the files in front of the other man. Aaron nodded.

"My friend recommended this diner to me. She said it has the best casserole ever." Aaron replied. "My office is close by, so I thought I'd stop here for dinner." Spencer grinned at him.

"Your friend has really good taste." He said, hesitating in asking his next question. He hadn't seen a ring on Aaron's hand, but a kind, handsome man like him probably had some pretty girl waiting at home for him. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Aaron laughed. "Oh no. I'm gay." He leaned forward slightly. "And very single." He said, lowering his voice. Spencer's face erupted in flames and he peeked up at Aaron through his eyelashes shyly. "You said you had a rough day at work?"

Spencer nodded, the content smile on his face fading to a slight grimace. "My boss is an asshole." He said, then promptly blushed again. "Excuse my language, I don't normally swear. He's an impatient jerk."

Aaron laughed again. Spencer wanted to bottle the sound up and keep it all for himself. "I understand... Sort of. I have an impatient boss, but my employees probably call me a hardass." Aaron said. Spencer grinned.

"Best of both worlds, huh?" He joked and was rewarded with a gorgeous smile.

"It's getting really late. I should probably get home now." Aaron said. Spencer glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already nine-thirty. Had they really been talking for an hour and a half? "It was really nice talking to you. We should meet up again." Aaron said.

Spencer nodded and quickly dug through his messenger bag for a spare business card, brandishing it with a grin. "Here's my number." He said, biting his lip flirtatiously. "Call me sometime."

Aaron handed him his own business card with a smile. "I will." He promised, then bid him a good night.

Spencer stared at the black font on the white card stock. JJ and Emily were going to freak out.

|| End Chapter One ||


	2. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer experiences many firsts with Aaron; and, Foyet threatens Spencer once again. For real this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be some time jumps in this, but bear with me for now. I'm trying not to spend too much time on their developing relationship so I can get to the more plotty chapters of the book. If you enjoy this fluff, then you have two chapters left. If you hate it, stick around until chapter five, okay?
> 
> In other news, this chapter is extra long! Over 5K (first time ever)!

Spencer woke to his blaring alarm, groaning as he slowly sat up in bed. His head pounded and the lights hurt his eyes. JJ and Emily had dragged him out to a club for the second time this week, claiming he had to stop moping that the super hot Colonel (their words not his) hadn't called him yet. 

Because the girls were crazy and had nothing better to do than obsess over Spencer's love life, they had looked up one "Colonel Aaron Hotchner of the Marine Corps" online because they needed to have a picture of Spencer's new boo (once again, their words, definitely not his). The first night they went out, it had been to celebrate Spencer meeting a handsome, kind, and smart guy. He'd, after much deliberation and over thinking, decided to send Aaron a smiley face and a short "Do you want to meet up, sometime?". JJ and Emily had wanted him to write it in text-speak but he drew the line, stubbornly refusing to let go of all rules of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Someone who had three Ph.D.'s did not write in 'text speak'.

Spencer quickly brushed his teeth and hair, putting his contacts in as quickly as he could. He grabbed a pair of sunglasses and rushed out the door, remembering his satchel just before he left. 

Of course Aaron wouldn't call him, Spencer thought morosely as he walked to the metro station. He walked faster as he realized that it was almost 7:20; the subway boarded at 7:35 and it was a fifteen minute walk on a good day. Why would a handsome, smart, well-off guy bother calling a nerd like Spencer back? He cringed at the metal image of his outfit back at the diner that night. A rumpled paisley t-shirt that clashed horribly with his blue sweater vest and khakis. Not to mention that his hair was a mess; to make matters worse, he'd been wearing his glasses then. They always made his face look too small and his eyes too big.

Spencer sighed as he walked through the station to wait for the subway train to arrive. He remembered Aaron's immaculate appearance; an obviously tailored suit, neat hair and no food on his suit, whereas Spencer was sure that his tie had had more than one mustard stain. This wasn't the first time that he'd been tricked into believing he had a chance. 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. He thought bitterly. But Aaron had promised... he'd said in that smooth voice of his, the slight Yorkshire accent showing up, "I will." And then he'd smiled! He seemed so genuine. 

Spencer boarded the train, suddenly itching for caffeine. Yeah, coffee would be good. It would distract him from his nonexistent love life. 

The train was packed, but he had been able to snag a seat. They arrived at the first stop soon enough, and Spencer saw a few people exit, but at least twice as many boarded. An elderly lady hobbled onto the train, holding onto the pole tightly. Spencer stood up.

"Here ma'am, you can take my seat." He said politely. If there was one thing his mother had taught him, it had been to use his manners. The woman smiled at him before leaning closer. Spencer blushed under her scrutinizing gaze. Then she grinned and pinched his cheeks, causing his blush to intensify. He took her place at the pole just as the doors to train closed with a ding. 

The train jolted forward and Spencer held on to the bar tightly. He was excited to go to work; JJ was starting today. He was going to hug her so tightly when he saw her. Right after he killed her for dragging him out to that stupid club, he thought as another migraine hit him. He took his hand off the bar to rub at his temples, just as the train jolted to a stop. 

He stumbled backwards, bumping into someone before landing on the floor with a loud thud. His messenger bag fell open and all of his papers fell out.  He scrambled to his knees, shoving them all in his bag and cringing at the dirt and footsteps he saw. Couldn't anyone spare a moment to help him? 

Someone crouched down next to him and gathered up the rest of the papers. Spencer took them, looking up to the person with a grateful smile. His smile faltered when he recognized the person.

"Are you okay, Spencer?" The Colonel's smooth voice greeted him, the rich baritone nice to hear but reminding him of the ignored text.

"I'm fine. Thank you." He said, remembering his manners. He stood up and grabbed onto the pole once again, brushing some dirt off his pants. His stop was next. 

The train began moving forward once again and Spencer made sure to keep himself steady. His little spill had been mortifying. "It's funny running into you here." Aaron said, standing next to Spencer and leaning closer so that he could get a better grip on the bar. Spencer held his breath, trying not to be affected by the warm breath on his neck. "How've you been?" He asked.

"Fine. And you?" He asked politely, glancing at the display declaring that they would be arriving at Heathen Station in ten minutes. Only ten minutes left. His left knee jiggled impatiently.

"I've been better." Aaron said, his voice dropping slightly and his breath getting warmer. Spencer shifted in place, trying to get away from the older man.

"Hmm. What's wrong?" Spencer asked disinterestedly. He glared at the space in front of him. Stupid Aaron Hotchner. Couldn't the man just leave him alone? He'd already rejected him; torture really wasn't necessary.

"It seems as if the man I like is angry at me." Ah. So Aaron's new lover was angry at him. Spencer ignored the pang of jealousy that fired through him at the thought of the Colonel seeing someone else. Whatever; it's his loss, as Emily and JJ had said.

"That sucks. What did you do wrong?" Spencer asked. He knew he was being passive aggressive, but honestly, couldn't the Colonel have the decency to reply to his text.

"I think he's angry that I didn't call him." Was ignoring his potential lovers a habit of Aaron's? Spencer blushed promptly when he realized that he just thought of himself as Aaron's potential lover. He banished the thought with a small frown; right now, he didn't think he could be Aaron's potential anything. 

"Didn't you?" Spencer asked, feigning disinterest. 

"I went on a business trip and didn't have my personal cell phone with me." Aaron replied, leaning forward to whisper in Spencer's ear. Spencer shivered slightly, feeling uncomfortable at his close proximity but wanting to be near him anyways. "Sorry, Spencer." Why was he apologizing to Spencer? He should be apologizing to this other-

Oh.  Oh.  Aaron liked  him !

"You like  me ?" Spencer asked, turning to face Aaron, who was smiling at him. The Colonel nodded, holding Spencer's gaze calmly and confidently.

"I like you a lot. And I know that I hurt you by not replying to your text." Was he a mind reader or something? "I would love to take you on a date to make up for it." Spencer gaped at the older man, still quite not believing that Aaron liked him after he'd spent a week convincing himself that he had no chance with the Colonel.

"Approaching Heathen Station." A robotic voice announced from the speakers.

"Y-yes." He stammered, blushing. Aaron looked pleased and... relieved. Had he been nervous? That was adorable. "I would love to."

"Dinner tomorrow?" Aaron asked, already pulling his phone out. Spencer nodded. "Great, I'll text you the details, okay?" 

"Sure. Don't make me wait a week again." He said playfully, internally surprised that he was flirting (and succeeding at it) with Aaron. The older man laughed and bid him  goodbye . Spencer rushed out of the train station, feeling rejuvenated. His migraine was long forgotten.

He rushed up to his laboratory, a spring in his step and a smile on his face. When he opened the door, he saw that JJ was waiting for him, fully dressed in a lab coat, hairnet, safety goggles, and latex gloves. She was leafing through his lab notes.

"There you are Spencer! What exactly are you working on?" She asked, giving him a perplexed look. 

"I can't tell you, Jayje. It's a special assignment from Dr. Foyet." JJ made a face at that but dismissed the issue, heading to her lab station. Spencer had begged and pleaded, and Foyet had finally allowed JJ and Spencer to share a laboratory.  "You'll never believe who I ran into on the train!" He exclaimed, brimming with energy.

JJ didn't look up from her lab station. She appeared to be measuring the mass of a solution, her expression focused and determined.

"Aaron!" Spencer said, pulling Albert and Nikolas out of those cages and setting up the maze. JJ stopped working and turned to look at Spencer, who must've looked positively insane what with his  cooing  at two mice. 

"The Aaron who ignored your text?" She asked, leaning against her lab desk. Spencer nodded.

"He didn't ignore my text though. He was on a business trip and he didn't bring his personal cell phone. We're going on a date  tomorrow ." Spencer beamed, humming to himself. "Do you mind if I play some music?" He asked, already heading to the speakers in the room to plug in his iPod.

"Spence... Don't you think it's strange that he has more than one cell phone?" Spencer shook his head. "You don't really know the guy."

"Lots of people have multiple cell phones. And I do know him! His name is Aaron Hotchner. He's a Colonel of the Marine corps, he is the leader of some sort of team, probably a high ranking one, and he's from Virginia. And he likes casserole." Spencer said, his walls shooting up. "The whole point of going on dates with someone is to learn more about them, Jayje. Don't you want me to be happy?" He asked.

"Of course I want you to be happy, Spence! I was just worried. I don't want you to get hurt." JJ said hurriedly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm happy for you." She said with a smile, causing Spencer to smile back at her.

"I really like him, Jayje." He said, his voice open and honest. JJ opened her mouth to reply when Foyet interrupted them.

"Jennifer! Come to my office." He ordered. JJ grimaced at his use of her first name.

"I've told him at least ten times now to call me JJ or Dr. Jareau." Spencer nodded his head understandingly.

"Better get going now, the master demands your presence." Spencer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm at the word master. 

"We'll talk more later, Spence." JJ promised before exiting the lab. Once she left, Spencer turned to his two other friends.

"Did you hear that, boys? I've got a date!" The two mice blinked up at him. Albert seemed to yawn. "What will I wear?" 

* * *

Spencer is fairly certain he's going to have bruises from all of the poking and prodding that Emily and JJ have done to his body. He practices his smile nervously as he looks in the mirror.

He has to admit, the girls did a good job. The light purple button down shirt and dark dress pants look great together with the plum colored tie. He looks skinny, but not too skinny. His hair is brushed neatly, thanks to Emily's mastery with a hairbrush. With a ton of persuasion and yelling and hair pulling (Spencer thinks he saw claws once), the girls managed to persuade him into wearing his glasses. He looks nerdy, but chic. The look fits him.

There's a knock at the door, and both the girls squeal loudly. They swat his shoulder playfully when he pretends to hold his ears in pain. He excuses himself to open the door.

He remembers to smile as he opens the door, holding his breath. Aaron looks fantastic as usual. He's dressed in a fine black suit which accentuates his broad shoulders and narrow  waist. He is smiling broadly at him, a bouquet of flowers extended out toward Spencer. 

"Hi." Spencer stammers out, still shell shocked at the sight of such beautiful man standing on his doorstep. He takes the offered bouquet, inhaling deeply. The flowers smell wonderful.

"Hi Spencer. Are you ready?" Spencer nods, about to compliment his appearance when the girls rush to the door.

They scrutinize Aaron, who remains calm under their gazes. Spencer resists the urge to facepalm himself.

"I'm Emily, and this is JJ." Emily introduces herself with a charming smile, holding her hand out to Aaron, who shakes both of their hands politely. "We're Spence's best friends." Spencer begins to inch out of the door. Emily beckons Aaron closer. JJ grabs Spencer's bouquet.

"Be gentle, okay? He's very... sensitive." Emily says coyly causing Spencer to blush wildly. And then she whispers something in his ear that Spencer can't hear. Aaron looks amused.

"Okay! Let's go, Aaron?" He asks, glaring at JJ and Emily, who give him their most innocent smiles. Aaron nods, holding his arm out to Spencer. 

"You look fantastic." Aaron says softly as they walk to his car. He is smiling at Spencer, a gentle look in his eyes that makes Spencer wonder for the second time that evening if Aaron is actually real. 

"Thank you. You look great too." He says as Aaron opens the door for him. Such a gentleman. Aaron stops him before he enters the car with a hand on his arm. "What's wrong?" He asks, giving Aaron a perplexed look.

"Nothing," he murmurs, leaning closer. Spencer flattens his body against the car, eyes widening as Aaron's broad chest comes into contact with his lean one. Aaron swoops in, smiling as he kisses Spencer.

All coherent thought flees Spencer. All he can think about is Aaron's lips, soft and warm on his, gently pushing and claiming. Aaron's lips leave his and kiss a trail of butterfly kisses on his jaw, leading to his ear. Spencer shivers at the feel of Aaron's teeth, gently nipping his ear lobe. "I've been thinking of doing that since we bumped into each other on the train." 

Spencer smiles at Aaron, his cheeks still flushed. His hair is messed up, he thinks morosely as he enters the car. Emily's going to kill him. But at least he'll die remembering the feeling of Aaron's lips on his. 

The ride to the restaurant is spent in a comfortable silence, soft jazz playing from the radio. Aaron's car is luxurious, Spencer observes. He is definitely wealthy; he's wearing a Rolex, which seems to be gold plated. His suit and shoes are most likely designer, he observes, remembering the smooth fabric against his fingertips. He blushes as he remembers the feeling of Aaron's broad chest again his, strong arms trapping him against the car, caging him in. It made him feel safe and protected. It felt good. 

Aaron pulled up to the restaurant effortlessly, opening Spencer's door for him with a flourish. He led Spencer to the restaurant. 

"Have you ever been here?" Aaron asked as they waited for the waitress to seat them. It was an upscale restaurant, fairly busy for a weekday night. Spencer shook his head, beginning to feel worried. It looked really expensive.

"I thought you might like their pasta." Aaron said as they were lead to their table. "My friend Dave is Italian, and he approves of it."

Spencer smiles at Aaron, butterflies swimming in his stomach. He doesn't know what to say. Should he laugh? Should he flirt? He hadn't been on a date in a long, long time.

"Relax, Spencer." Aaron said, stroking his hand with his thumb softly when they sat down. "Your friends are really nice. How long have you known them?" 

"Six years, three months, and fourteen days." Spencer replied, scanning the menu. He belatedly realized that it was strange to know the exact day that you met your friends; it was a force of habit. "My brain automatically calculates these types of things. I can tell you the day of the week your birthday was on. " Aaron looked intrigued. 

"My birthday is November 2nd, 1985." Spencer relaxed slightly as he calculated, his brain working rapidly. He filed away the information about Aaron in his head, pleased at his spy work.

"You were born on a Saturday." He said a minute later, blushing when Aaron laughed.

"That's amazing." He said after a while. Spencer stared at him in shock. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"No one's ever said that like it's actually amazing before." He replied honestly, giving Aaron a shy, pleased smile. Aaron's smile faltered for a moment.

"Well it is. You are incredible." Spencer was saved from having to answer by the arrival of the waiter. He gave Aaron a panicked look, searching through the menu for something inexpensive. Aaron smiled calmly at him.

"We'll have two plates of the original ravioli, with parmesan. And we'd also like to have some Chardonnay white wine. For dessert, we'd like to have some tiramisu please. That's all." Spencer calculated the cost in his head when the waiter left.

"Aaron, that's a seventy-seven dollars and fifty-six cents meal, including sales tax. I can't afford that." He said, looking away from the older man.

"I'll take care of it, Spencer. Don't worry about the money." He said, stroking Spencer's hand with his thumb again. That must be some kind of magic motion, Spencer thought, because he could feel himself beginning to calm down.

"I'll pay you back as soon as I can." Spencer promised.

"Don't worry about it, Spencer." Aaron said, pouring Spencer a glass of the wine that the waiter brought back. "Try this wine. It's excellent." Spencer did as he was asked, sipping his glass tentatively.

"Wow." He said, taking a bigger sip. The wine tickled his tongue, burning his throat slightly but settling in his stomach in a pleasant pool of heat. 

"I should take you wine-tasting some day. There's a really nice winery nearby." Aaron said. Spencer's heart beat faster at the prospect of a second date. "Would you like that?" Aaron asked, and Spencer could detect the hint of nervousness in his otherwise confident tone.

"I would love that." He said, beaming at Aaron. 

The rest of the date flew by. They chatted about simple things. Spencer told him about Emily and JJ and their various antics. Aaron countered by telling him about his friend Dave and his colleagues Derek and Penelope. 

"I think Dave and Emily would be good together." Spencer said hesitantly when they arrived at his house. It was a big step, to set their friends up with each other. It would be a uniting of their social circles, solidifying their relationships. Spencer hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"I was thinking the same thing." Aaron said with a knowing smile. "I really enjoyed this dinner, Spencer."

"Me too." He said, peeking up at Aaron through his eyelashes. "Would you like to go out again?" Aaron seemed surprised at Spencer's initiative, but he quickly recovered with a bright smile.

"I would love that. It's your turn to choose." He said, leaning against his car. "Text me the details." Spencer nodded, already thinking of the things they could do together.

"Well...goodnight then." Spencer said, shuffling from one foot to the other awkwardly.

"Goodnight Spencer." Aaron said. It must have been the wine or it could've been the sight of Aaron  standing  there, illuminated by the moonlight; whatever it was, something possessed him in a moment of courage where he surged forward and placed his lips against Aaron's in a short, sweet kiss. 

He waved goodbye to the shell-shocked man before scurrying up his steps and opening his door. He looked at Aaron one more time before he closed the door.

He leaned against the closed door, breathing heavily. 

"That was real, wasn't it?" He asked Emily and JJ who nodded synchronously at him before squealing loudly in excitement and joy. 

* * *

He and Aaron went on three more dates over the next couple weeks. Spencer chose  to go to the Museum of Natural History, where he amused Aaron by telling him as many facts as he could about everything he saw and leading the older man around on a guided tour. Aaron kissed him deeply and said that he looked adorable when he was talking so excitedly. Then they went wine tasting at the Garden Winery on a double date with Dave and Emily, who instantly hit it off. Spencer suspected that Aaron had purposely got him drunk so that he could touch him all over his body. Not that Spencer had minded, of course. Their last date had been at Spencer's place; they'd stayed in and decided to play board games and dance to Spencer's vast collection of smooth jazz and classical music. Aaron was an excellent slow dancer and he seemed to find Spencer's two left feet adorable. 

Spencer thought of those dates now, as Foyet yelled at him. "How long have you been working on this damn project, Reid?" He asked.

"Three months and twenty two days, Dr. Foyet." He said, gritting his teeth.

"Almost four months! And you're still in the preliminary stages. My colleagues told me that you were a genius. Best in your class. A fucking child prodigy." Foyet stepped closer to him, leaning in and invading his space. "Well, genius, if you don't figure this out by the end of the week, you won't be getting your pay-check. I wonder what your mother will do... When she's kicked out of Bennington Sanitarium because her son can't pay for her care." Foyet walked away, leaving Spencer staring at the wall in front of him, his mouth open in shock.

He threw himself into his work, becoming absorbed in the numbers and figures. He stopped talking to Albert and Nikolas, too focused on injecting then with various serums. His mother. He needed to support his mother.

Spencer cursed softly when one of his test tubes fell to the ground, breaking into hundreds of pieces of glass. He reached for his broom and dustpan, sweeping the pieces up gently. 

"Spencer?" A voice called out as the door to his lab swung open. 

"Get out! This is a restricted area!" Spencer yelled without looking up from his work. 

"Is it restricted for me?" The voice asked, causing Spencer to look up irately.

"I don't know who you think you are- oh." His angry rant stopped short when he realized that Aaron was standing there with a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag from "The Jade Dragon" in the other. His boyfriend/friend/person he goes on dates with smiled at him. "Hi, Aaron. How did you get in here?"

"JJ let me in." Spencer was grateful that Aaron hadn't moved from his spot at the door. He could tell that the Colonel was curious, but he was clearly respecting Spencer's privacy. He gave Aaron a shaky smile. "Are you up for movie night at my place?" 

Spencer shook his head. "I- I need to finish my work." He said, feeling tears come to his eyes. Why wasn’t it working? What was he missing? There must be something... an error in his calculations maybe? He sifted through his papers, scanning them rapidly. Aaron put a gentle hand on his arm.

"I think you've done a lot of work today, Spencer. You need some rest." Spencer blinked fast.

"No, no. You don't understand, Aaron. I need to solve this problem or else he's going to... he's going to-" Aaron shushed him softly, pulling him into his arms. Spencer laid his head against Aaron's chest, feeling his tears slowly recede as he listened to Aaron's steady, calm heartbeat. 

"Let's go, Spencer. We'll figure it out. But for now, you need some rest." When Spencer still looked skeptical, Aaron kissed his nose lightly. "Not sleeping or eating won't help you solve your problem Spencer; it'll only make it harder." Spencer finally conceded, moving to shove the files in his messenger bag, but Aaron stopped him with a hard look.

"We're going to my place, and I'm going to make you feel good." Aaron said, his voice heavy with a promise. Spencer nodded, too tired to process what Aaron was saying.

Two hours later, Spencer rested his head on Aaron's chest once again, his belly full and satisfied from a big meal. He snuggled into Aaron's arms, which wrapped around him tightly as they lay on the couch, dressed in pajamas. He tilted his head up to kiss Aaron, who opened his mouth obligingly. Spencer melted into the kiss as Aaron flipped them around until he was on top, resting of his forearms as he kissed Spencer.

This felt nice. In the beginning of their relationship, Spencer had felt awkward whenever Aaron touched him, unsure whether to move or not move. He didn't want to come off as uninterested nor did he want to seem too eager or desperate. Aaron always took chare, coaxing Spencer into relaxing and just "going with flow".

Spencer went with the flow now, letting Aaron take off his shirt. He tugged at Aaron's shirt.  "Off." He commanded, and Aaron smirked before obliging, taking the thin garment off with one graceful swoop of his arm. Spencer watched in awe. He would never be able to do that. His shirt would probably get stuck on his ears or something, he thought with a grimace. 

He focused his eyes on Aaron's chest, which unlike he'd thought, was soft and smooth. He ran his fingers through the ridges and curves in the soft, firm skin as Aaron kissed him. A warm tongue probed his lips open and he did so, allowing Aaron into his mouth. His hands flattened involuntarily against Aaron's chest, nails scraping lightly. Aaron moaned at the touch and pulled away to look down at Spencer, whose lips were swollen red and face was flushed. Aaron himself looked breathless, hair tousled and cheeks flushed too. Spencer wanted to take a picture to document the sight of always calm and composed Aaron Hotchner, unraveled.

"Can I?" Aaron asked, fingers tracing the sharp angles of Spencer's hip bone. Spencer nodded, a small, pleading noise emitting from the back of his throat. "Oh god. You're gorgeous." He said, meeting Spencer's eyes as he pulled his pants and boxers off in one smooth motion.

Spencer shuddered as Aaron's hand grazed his cock, hardening fully instantly. How long had it been since someone had touched him down there besides himself? Too long, his brain supplied, clearly too distracted by his arousal to compute the exact date. Aaron's long, dexterous fingers wrapped around the base of his cock. One firm tug and Spencer cried out in pleasure, heat pooling at the bottom of his stomach. 

Spencer's eyes widened when Aaron looked up at him, a wicked smirk on his face. "Oh my god." He said as Aaron leaned down and licked a long strip of skin up his cock. He gasped at the warm wet heat surrounding him and glanced down to see Aaron looking up at him, lips wrapped around his dick. "I'm close." He stammered out, embarrassed that he didn't last long. Aaron hummed his acknowledgment. The pleasure built in his stomach, rising up to his brain and exploding between his eyes. He closed them as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. 

Aaron pulled away from his dick, lips wet and stained with Spencer's come. He grabbed Spencer's head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Spencer moaned at the taste of his come on Aaron's lips. They lay against each other for a while, Spencer trying to catch his breath and coming down from his post-orgasmic high.

He hardened slightly when he felt Aaron's dick against the bare skin of his hip, stiff and unrelenting. "Aaron." The other man looked up at him from where he had been tracing silly little patterns onto Spencer's skin. "I want you to make love to me." He said calmly. Aaron smiled.

"Always, Spencer." He stated before lifting Spencer into his arms and carrying him into his bedroom. He laughed as he settled Spencer gently down onto his clean white sheets, and he kissed him as he removed his pants and boxers. Spencer turned onto his stomach and spread his legs as Aaron placed a long trail of feather like kisses down his spine and ending on the small of his back. Aaron reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a half-filled bottle of lube. 

Spencer closed his eyes as he felt a cool finger push past the barriers of his hole. He gritted his teeth as the appendage crossed the first few rings until it was completely inside. Aaron worked another finger in. He scissored them slightly, causing Spencer to gasp in pain, which eventually morphed into a gasp of pleasure.

"Hurry up and fuck me, Aaron." He demanded, spreading his legs wider. Aaron kissed his neck and nipped it lightly as he pushed himself inside Spencer. Spencer moaned at the feeling of Aaron filling him. He felt so good, so full. Aaron waited for Spencer to adjust before pushing himself in the rest of the way until he bottomed out. 

"You're gorgeous." Aaron said. Spencer felt so many words there on the tip of his tongue,  I love you, you're amazing, don't ever leave me,  but he swallowed them down and closed his eyes as Aaron began to move. His pleasure mounted as Aaron hit  that  spot with perfect accuracy multiple times. Finally, the room and everything else  melted  away until he was left with just him and Aaron, making each other feel good.

Aaron pulled out and gathered Spencer into his arms. The pair curled up under Aaron's covers, both feeling sated and happy.

"Are we... boyfriends, now?" Spencer asked after a moment, his voice filled with tension. Aaron smiled against his skin.

"Where did that come from?" Spencer shrugged, feigning  nonchalance .

"No reason. I was just wondering what we should call each other." He hoped that Aaron wouldn't notice the slight tremors in his voice. 

"Aaron and Spencer." The older man replied, resuming his tracing of patterns along Spencer's stomach. Spencer turned towards him, showing Aaron his face so that he knew he was being serious. "Lovers."

"Lovers." Spencer repeated, testing the word out on his tongue. It felt good to say it. "You're my lover." A surge of possessiveness hit Spencer and he curled up closer to Aaron.

"And you're mine." Aaron replied, wrapping an arm around Spencer's waist.

**|| End Chapter Two ||**   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ahem* That was fun to write... my first try at smut. Tell me what you think?


	3. Trust Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Aaron celebrate their three-month anniversary. Then Aaron's trust issues almost ruin everything. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for commenting and kudos-giving! I meant to post this yesterday, but I type on my phone often and I didn't finish it in time to post it. Copy-and-paste has stopped working for some reason on my phone :(
> 
> I'd like to give a special shoutout to Mswriter07, who has commented on all of my stories. Thank you so much :-) Your kind words always make my day <3

"So, do you want to tell me why you were so upset yesterday?" Aaron asked Spencer the next morning when they sat down from breakfast. Spencer's hair was still damp from his shower, and he ran his fingers through it to try to tame it. He watched as Aaron bustled around the kitchen, fully dressed already at the ungodly hour of seven am. It was way too early for him to do anything but appreciate the sight of his new lover making him breakfast.

"Later." He grumbled, taking the offered cup of coffee happily. He hummed as he sipped it, putting his glasses on and beginning to read the newspaper. Shooting, bank robbery, mayor elections, and so on. Spencer flipped through the newspaper, eyes moving a mile a minute.

"Spencer." Aaron said. Spencer's eyes widened and he pointedly looked away from his lover, recognizing the Colonel's no-nonsense tone. Aaron sat down at the table in front of Spencer, leaning forward and placing his hands over Spencer's.

"Fine. Foyet threatened to take away my paycheck if I didn't make some major progress on the project I was working on by the end of the week." Aaron looked at him sympathetically.

"Is that all that was wrong?" Aaron asked, and Spencer opened his mouth to tell him.  No Aaron, that's not all. I need that money to support my institutionalized schizophrenic mother. Did I mention that my mother has schizophrenia, a genetic disease? Not to freak you out or anything, but your new lover might go crazy in a few years.  That would go really well. 

"I was just worried that I wouldn't be able to pay for rent, food, etcetera." Aaron stared at him for a moment and Spencer held his gaze despite the tendrils of guilt seeping into his stomach. He finally nodded and smiled at Spencer, whose shoulders sagged slightly in relief.

"Okay. If you ever need money, Spencer, I'd be happy to give you some." Spencer scoffed. He didn't accept money from his best friends, never mind his lovers.

"I don't want your money, Aaron." Aaron looked up from his scrambled eggs to give Spencer a perplexed look. "I'm not a prostitute you pay for sex." Spencer clarified, giving Aaron one of his own hard looks.

"No, no, of course not. It would be a loan." Aaron said, chuckling lightly. Spencer smiled at him sheepishly. "You know I'm not with you for just the sex, Spencer." Aaron reminded him, stroking Spencer's arm. 

Spencer stared at Aaron speechlessly. How did he get so lucky? He leaned forward and pecked Aaron on the lips, smiling. Aaron deepened the kiss and Spencer melted into it, almost falling forward onto the table when Aaron pulled away.

"I would love to spend the rest of the day with you, but I need to get to work." Aaron stood up and shrugged his black suit jacket over his white t-shirt, straightening his tie in the mirror before heading towards the door.

"Ah, the elusive job." Spencer joked, following him to the door. "You never talk about your job."

"I don't hear you telling me all of the confidential secrets of your job." Aaron said as he tied his shoelaces.

"That's different. You never ask me; I would tell you anything about my work. I've asked you so many times, Aaron. You know you can trust me with your secrets." Spencer said, frowning. Aaron's frown mirrored his own when he turned to face Spencer, who was standing in the doorway.

"Drop it, Spencer." He said shortly before heading out the door. Spencer felt a sickening feeling in his stomach as he watched Aaron walking down the driveway to his Lexus. The sour feeling in his mouth worsened when Aaron drove away, clearly angry by the white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.  Did they just have their first fight?

* * *

Spencer did drop it, for two whole months. He watched Aaron constantly, feeling the words in his mind, on his lips, coming out. But Aaron had told him to drop it, and he would respect his wishes. For now.

 They are in a restaurant, chatting and eating a dinner. He and Aaron do the Lady and the Tramp bit, eating spaghetti and ending up kissing each other. He feels happy, safe,  loved.  Is he in love with Aaron?

No, not yet, he determines after some consideration, but he's falling. The thought doesn't scare him as much as he'd thought it would. He tries to focus on the meal and the conversation, but all he can think about is being in love with Aaron. 

"Spencer?" Aaron asked, causing Spencer to look up from the tablecloth. "Is everything okay?" His voice was gentle and kind. Spencer smiled at him reassuringly.

"Just thinking." Aaron raised an eyebrow, prompting Spencer to continue. "I was thinking about my amazing lover." He said, beaming at Aaron. Aaron kissed him softly, pulling away. Spencer watched as Aaron looked around the restaurant... nervously. Since when was Aaron Hotchner, calm and composed and always confident Colonel fucking Aaron Hotchner,  nervous ?

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked. Aaron seemed amused by the term of endearment.

"Spencer. I love being with you." He started with a smile. Spencer began to panic internally. He'd heard those words before; Emily and JJ always told him their breakup stories when they came crying to him for comfort after their latest fling ended bad. "It's really hard for me to say this. I can't quite find the words to-"

"Are you breaking up with me?" Spencer asked, trepidation in his tone and his eyes wide and scared. Aaron's eyes widened a fraction in response to Spencer's blurted out question. "Because I'd rather you just say it, you know. I can handle it. Rip the bandage off and whatnot. I'm not the easiest person to be with."

"No, no, no, Spencer! I'm most definitely not breaking up with you." Aaron assured him. "Quite the opposite, actually. It'd be better if I just showed you. Happy anniversary, Spencer." Spencer watched, his anxiety building as Aaron reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black box. Oh my god. Was he...?

"I'm not proposing Spencer." Aaron interrupted his increasingly frantic thoughts. " Yet ." Spencer's little freak out resumed quietly, but he pushed it aside to focus on the box Aaron was presenting to him. Aaron opened it to reveal... a key. It was small and golden, with the house number 509 engraved in it.  "I figured that you're at my place most nights anyway. It would be easier for you to move in. Practical, even." 

"Practical." Spencer echoed, finally looking up from the key. Aaron had a teasing smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "You're teasing me, aren't you?"

"You really are a genius." Aaron teased him playfully before sobering up. "What do you say?" He gestured to the key.

"Yes!" He whispered, taking the key with gentle hands, as if it would break at any moment. Aaron grinned at him, opening his mouth to speak when his phone buzzed. 

"Excuse me." He said, holding up one finger. "Colonel Hotchner here. Yes? Understood. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes." 

"You're leaving?!" Spencer exclaimed after Aaron hung up with a sigh. Aaron gave him an apologetic smile.

"Duty calls." Aaron said simply, calling the waiter over. He gave his credit card to the young man and turned to speak to Spencer. "I'll make it up to you, Spencer." 

"What do you have to do that's so urgent?" He asked, standing up when Aaron stood. Aaron shrugged his jacket on and straightened his tie. 

"Work." Aaron said shortly, clearly regressing into "Colonel Hotchner" mode. 

"Aaron, can't you tell me what you do exactly?" Aaron shook his head, heading out the door. Spencer followed him outside, the cool air hitting his face. "Don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Spencer. Don't you ever say that again." Aaron said, spinning on his heel. He pushed Spencer back until he hit the wall of the restaurant, placing his hands of either side of Spencer's face. "Don't ask, okay Spencer. There are certain things that I just cannot tell you." 

"Why not?" He asked, lowering his voice. "Because you don't trust me?" Spencer taunted, looking Aaron  straight  in the eyes. 

Aaron  growled . The most terrifying sound that Spencer had ever heard came from his lover and he shrunk back further against the wall. Aaron's eyes were burning, but not with passion. He breathed deeply, collecting himself before turning away from Spencer and walking to his car, shoulders set. Without a word, he got in and drove away, leaving Spencer cowering at the wall, tears streaming down his face.

With shaking hands, he reached into his coat pocket and took his phone out. His legs trembled as he dialed the number he was looking for.

"Em? C-can you come pick me up?"

* * *

"It's going to be okay, Spencer." Emily assured him, her tone soft and consoling as she sat next to him. On his other side, JJ cradled his head carefully, stroking his hair with a gentle hand. "You and Aaron will move past this."

"He was so angry." Spencer said, flinching at the memory of his lover's eyes, forever imprinted in his brain. "It was our three month anniversary." He moaned. "I was supposed to move in with him."

"Spence, it's not over, okay? Clearly Aaron has trust issues. He will tell you what his job is when he's ready. But you need to try to make it work with him." JJ explained gently. "Nothing will happen if you don't try."

"What do I do?" He asked, sniffling. The girls glanced at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. 

And that was how Spencer found himself sitting on Aaron's front steps, head bent as he waited for Aaron to come home. He busied himself by counting the specks of gray on the stone steps. 5,127. 5,128. 5,129. 5,130. 5,131. 5,133. Oh wait, that was 5,132, right? Or was it 5,134? Spencer groaned internally and restarted.

"Spencer?" The doctor looked up at his name, smiling shyly at Aaron who was now standing in front of him with a perplexed look on his face. He was dressed in casual clothes and had a big bag of groceries in his arms. "What are you doing here?" 

"I was waiting for you." He said, standing and wiping his now sweaty hands on his pants. 

"Were you waiting long?" Aaron asked as he opened the door. Spencer stood outside awkwardly, lingering in the doorway. Should he go in or not? What was appropriate for these kind of situations? 

"Fifty-one minutes and thirty-five seconds." He replied. Aaron looked up from the grocery bag to look at Spencer out of the corner of his eye. 

"Come inside." Spencer did so, toeing his shoes off. Aaron beckoned him into the living room, and gestured to a seat at the dining table. "Why were you waiting here?" 

"I-I wanted to apologize." Spencer started. Aaron continued going back and forth from his fridge to the kitchen table. He lingered there, when Spencer said those words. "I shouldn't have pestered you that night. I'm sorry. I was just hurt that you wouldn't tell me. Not that that excuses my actions." He said quickly. 

"I'm sorry as well, Spencer. I shouldn't have pushed you against the wall." Aaron replied, his voice low. "And I'm prepared to forgive you." 

Spencer beamed at him, standing up to wrap his arms around his lover's neck. "Thank you, Aaron. Thank you!" 

"On one condition." Aaron said, his gaze still hard and cold. "I want you to do exactly what I say for the rest of this night." Spencer nodded, eyes wide. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Aaron nodded. "Why?" Aaron smiled at him slowly, stepping closer to Spencer to whisper in his ear. 

"Because, the only way for me to know that I can trust you is if you show that you trust me. And you do that by doing what I tell you to do." Spencer nodded once again, this time with understanding in his eyes. He did trust Aaron, and if this is what he needed to do to prove that to  hid  lover, he would gladly do it.

"Okay." Aaron breathed out, looking a little surprised himself. "Let's have some dinner." 

And he and Spencer settled into a nice atmosphere, working together to cook dinner. Spencer tried to steal kisses from Aaron and succeeded until Aaron told him to stop, which he did with a small pout. It was strange in the beginning, to wait for what Aaron told him to do, but he once he got  used to it, he found he didn't mind it too much. "Peel the potato, Spencer", and he did so. "Keep an eye on the pasta, bud" and he did that too. He knew what he was supposed do, what was appropriate, and what would be wrong. It cleared up all of the strange social behaviors and rituals that he really didn't understand, no matter how many times Emily and JJ explained that to him.

They sat down to eat dinner, chatting lightly with each other. Spencer carefully avoided talking about work, instead talking to Aaron about Emily and JJ and their latest shenanigans. 

"Come to the bedroom." Spencer followed Aaron to the bedroom, feeling nervous despite himself. Aaron could do anything he wanted to him.

But he knew that Aaron wouldn't hurt him, wouldn't push him too far. He knew this because he trusted Aaron, and he knew he always would.

"Strip." Aaron ordered, and Spencer removed his clothes quickly, blushing when he stood in front of Aaron naked. It felt strange to see his lover fully clothed while he was completely bare-ass naked. He could feel himself getting aroused slightly.

"Get on the bed." Spencer did so, the cool air hitting hid bare skin and making him shiver. He watched with wide eyes as Aaron went around the bedroom, removing his shoes and suit jacket until he was standing in front of Spencer in his dress shirt and slacks, his fine, silk tie in his hand. 

"Close your eyes." Aaron said, his voice shifting slightly. It became deeper, every consonant and vowel of each word clearly enunciated. Spencer closed his eyes hesitantly, shifting nervously on the sheets. A minute later, he felt Aaron's hands brushing over his head and the cool fabric of Aaron's tie covering his eyes. Aaron placed a warm kiss on his forehead before he pulled away.

Without his sense of sight, Spencer's other sense were heightened. His ears perked as he heard Aaron moving around the room. He could hear a drawer opening and closing, and a slight swish from some sort of liquid  swishing  in a bottle, probably lube. He could smell Aaron as he came closer, a rustle of sheets indicating that Aaron was sitting down.

Spencer gasped in surprise when he felt Aaron's lips at his ear. "Did you think I was sitting down?" Spencer nodded slightly, mouth open. "Standard stealth training is required for all Marines. I'm a Colonel; I'm particularly good at tricking your sense." Aaron emphasized those last words by biting Spencer's ear lightly. 

"How do you feel, Spencer?" Aaron asked, his hand making its way down Spencer's chest, lighting a fire across the skin. His fingers trailed back up his chests to his shoulder. Spencer gasped when he felt Aaron's lips on his neck, a warm tongue reaching out and licking the skin. 

"It feels strange..." Aaron's teeth nipped the skin of his neck before Aaron was sucking gently. A reward, Spencer recognized and the pleasure that shot down to his groin. "It's not frightening, really. I like it." Spencer confessed. He thought that Aaron had moved away, but clearly Aaron was a master of stealth. A minute later, although it felt much longer than that, and then Aaron's tongue was on his dick. 

"Oh Aaron!" He gasped when Aaron's mouth enveloped his cock. He thrust into Aaron's mouth with a desperate flick of his hips. Aaron pulled away. 

"Stay still, Spencer." Spencer grabbed the sheets tightly, squeezing them when Aaron's mouth returned to his cock. He waited, helpless as Aaron worked him to an orgasm. He finally came with a cry, fighting to keep his hips still but failing. They bucked up as he found his release.

And then Spencer's hand was being guided with Aaron's gentle, firm grip. His fingers twitched when he felt hard, warm flesh against his skin. 

"Go ahead." Once Spencer had the command, he wrapped his hand around Aaron's cock. He stroked the skin softly with downward flick of his thumb. Aaron didn't move, his knees still straddling Spencer's hips.

Spencer moved his hand up and down Aaron's cock faster, each stroke firm and quick. He smiled when he heard Aaron's breath quicken. Aaron's balls tightened under Spencer's fingers. Aaron's release came in long, hot spurts, landing all over Spencer's naked body and his hands. He  brought his hand up to his mouth and licked his fingers clean, aware of Aaron's gaze on him. The sheets rustled once again and the mattress shifted as Aaron got up and walked away. 

Spencer laid against the sheets contently. He couldn't deuce where Aaron was, so he relaxed and tried not to worry. Aaron came back moments later, his footsteps purposely loud. Then there was a warm cloth against his skin, wiping his chest and the other parts of his body clean. 

Aaron pulled Spencer into his arms after he finished cleaning up, holding him tightly against his still now bare chest. He smiled and placed his head on Aaron's chest, drifting off peacefully. He barely noticed the blindfold still around his eyes.

"Aaron?" Spencer asked groggily the next morning. He opened his eyes blearily, smiling when he was greeted by the sight of Aaron's chocolate brown eyes staring down at him. "Good morning. When did you take the blindfold off?" He asked, sitting up slightly in bed.

"After you fell asleep." He said finally, still staring at Spencer with an indescribable look on his face. "Did you really like that?" 

"Y-yes." He stammered out, blushing and looking away from Aaron. Aaron tilted his chin up with a warm hand and kissed Spencer, their mouths melding together seamlessly. Spencer smiled at him when Aaron pulled away.

"I kill people, Spencer, I kill people." He said softly, running his hands through his hair.

"What?" He asked confusedly. 

"That's my job. I'm an assassin for the NSA. I do the dirty work, they stuff they don't have anyone else to do. And I'm good at it. I am the best." He said, his voice low and tense. "And here you are. So sweet and pliant and kind. And innocent. And you tell me you like it? Do you still like it, knowing that I've killed people with my bare hands?"

"Aaron." Spencer said, still staring at his lover in shock. "You are a good person. What you do for work is not who you are. Do you enjoy killing those people?" Aaron startled and shook his head. "Of course not. That's because you are a good person. I like being with you Aaron. _I trust you_." Aaron grabbed Spencer's hand and kissed it.

"I trust you too, Spencer." He said, his lips quirking into a small smile.

"I know." Spencer replied, his eyes serious. His grin turned playful and he stood up, reaching for his boxers and pulling them on. "We should do this again. You are so hot when you act all ninja like. And when you order me around, your voice gets all growly. It's quite sexy."

Aaron's laugh followed him out into the hallway.

 

** || End Chapter Three || **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Sorry this chapter isn't as long. 
> 
> The next chapter is coming along slowly. I'll try my hardest to have it out in one or two days. Chapter four is the last purely fluff chapter, and then things get REAL ;-)


	4. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer is freaking out about telling Aaron he loves him. And Foyet is up to something really really bad, he thinks. The perfect distraction.
> 
> LAST FLUFFY CHAPTER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for commenting and giving me kudos! I was watching season seven today, just finished actually (oh my god the season seven finale) and I thought that there was so much Hotch/Reid flirting going on! They could totally be canon. I have to go to sleep now, otherwise I'd be ranting way more about the perfection that is hxr. 
> 
> Happy reading!

"Spencer, did you name your mice?" JJ asked, a perplexed expression on her face as she sat next to him in their laboratory. Spencer continued to spin around in his swivel chair, reading the latest test reports as he did so. 

"Yep." He cradled the black mouse in his hands and presented it to JJ. "This is Dr. Albert Einstein, but I like to call him Albert." He gave her a meaningful look. "You can call him Dr. Einstein for now, until you gain his trust."

JJ feigned offense. "Okay then, Spence. Speaking of trust, how are you and Aaron doing?" 

"Yeah, those two things aren't really related anymore. The little guy in your hands is Nikolas Tesla. You can call him Nikolas; he's a very friendly little fellow. Mischievous, too." Spencer deftly changed the subject, smiling inwardly at his excellent avoidance skills. He and Aaron's little hiccup three months ago was something he didn't like to talk about.

"That was smooth, Spencer. Did your boyfriend teach you that?" Spencer gave her a hard look, causing her to hold her hands up in a placating manner. 

"Not my boyfriend. Lover, or partner. Boyfriend is so... juvenile." The last word was spoken in disgust. "We're both mature, consenting adults."

"Right." JJ said, staring at him with a strange expression on her face. Spencer frowned as he tried to decipher her expression; her eyebrows were knitted slightly, but her mouth was upturned into a smile. Spencer shook his head, confused by her contradicting facial expressions. "Have you talked about your fight?" 

Spencer nodded, looking away from JJ at the mention of the fight. "Ad nauseam. We worked it out." JJ nodded. Spencer smiled suddenly, "Do you want to help me with Albert and Nikolas? I need to test the serum once again?" 

"One question." Spencer nodded hesitantly. JJ leaned forward and smiled at him although her eyes were serious. "Are you happy with him?" 

"We've been together almost six months. Actually, it's our anniversary in three days. Aaron is really good at keeping his surprise a secret, even though we live in the same house now. It's strange, you know? I'm not used to waking up next to someone in bed, seeing them brush their teeth next to me, having someone there to greet me when I come home. Studies show that couples who eat breakfast together are significantly happier than couples who don't. I told this to Aaron and he's made it a point to have breakfast every single morning since then-" 

"Spence." JJ interrupted his little speech.

"I told him that fifty six days ago, JJ. Fifty-six consecutive, perfect, magical breakfasts. So yes, he does make me happy." Spencer finished with a sigh, looking down at his hands and hating his eyes for getting red and his heart for going and becoming too emotional. 

"Have you told him you love him yet?" JJ asked. Spencer shook his head.

"I don't know how to. It's a special thing, I know, and I don't want to mess it up." Spencer confessed, standing up and pacing the room. He'd spent many nights laying in Aaron's arms trying to think of the perfect way to confess the depth of his feelings. None of them seemed right. None of the plans he'd meticulously crafted represent the unique phenomenon known as Aaron and Spencer. 

"Just do it in the most natural way, Spencer. It doesn't have to be a big deal or a relationship changer." JJ advised. "You're telling your partner that you love him. Simple." Spencer mentally snorted, smiling at JJ. Simple.  Yeah, right.

"Stop talking you two and get to work!" A deep voice barked, startling Spencer and causing JJ to fly to her station and immediately start working. "Reid! In my office, now!" Spencer shuddered slightly. For the past few weeks (23 days, his brain helpfully supplied), Foyet had been in a horrible mood. He acted like a slave-driver, yelling at anyone who took a moment to relax. JJ, being the newest employee, was berated the most. Every time he saw Foyet bullying JJ, Spencer's hands balled up into fists. 

He scurried to Foyet's office, not wanting to further anger the temperamental man. "Sit down." Spencer did so, perching himself on the edge of the uncomfortable wooden chair and staring at anyplace besides Foyet. Dr. Foyet's desk was cluttered with papers and files. Spencer read the expense report sitting out in the open while he waited for the ticking time bomb that was his boss to  explode . 

"Tell me what the progress is on the serum." Spencer sighed and began to repeat what he'd already said ten times that week. Everyday,  Reid, what's the progress on the serum, Why isn't it done yet?. 

"The serum is showing significant results. In the latest tests, Alb- Subject A completed the newly reconfigured maze in 13 minutes, hi- its new record. Subject B has also shown significant improvement. It's able to go through the obstacle course easily with the aid of the serum." Foyet nodded, a glimmer of a pleased smile appearing on his face. Spencer shivered slightly at the dark look in Foyet's eyes.

"Good. Move on to human subjects." He ordered, putting his glasses on and sifting through his papers. He took out a yellow piece of paper and after a suspicious look at Spencer, quickly shoved it in the upper left drawer of his desk. Spencer gaped at him.

"H-human subjects?!" Spencer asked incredulously. 

"Yes, Reid, humans. Why did you think we were developing this serum? It's going to be a military weapon." Foyet stated, giving Reid a look that seemed to say  idiot why are you asking these silly questions. 

"Dr. Foyet, this serum is meant for mice. We haven't even tested it on dogs or flies or other animal subjects! The potential side-effects on humans could be...fatal!" Spencer exclaimed, standing up to make his point. Foyet stared at him and slowly stood also, looking Spencer in the eye.

"That is why we are  testing  the serum, Dr. Reid. Now get out of my office and do as you're told." Spencer turned to exit, glancing at Foyet's desk. Something was wrong; usually the doctor would listen to his resident genius's evaluations. Usually, he'd want to make sure that the compound was stable before jumping  so far  in the testing sequence. No, there was definitely something fishy going on with Dr. Foyet and Spencer was certain it had to do with the yellow paper that Foyet was holding so close to him. 

"Everything okay, Spence?" JJ asked when he entered the lab. She smiled at him. Spencer contemplated telling her that he thought their boss was doing something behind their back for his own purposes but quickly shoved that thought out of his mind. For one, he didn't have any proof of Foyet's hidden agenda and if he was doing something nefarious for lack of a better word, JJ could be hurt. He would not put his best friend in danger.

"Yeah." He smiled back at her, trying to stop himself from looking guilty. He soon lost himself in a conversation with JJ about his plans for Friday with Aaron.

* * *

"Babe?" He called out when he entered the house that night, smiling as he toed his shoes off at the door and set his satchel on the coat hooks. Aaron's bag was there, as was his coat. His shoes were set neatly on the shoe rack. He had also seen Aaron's car parked outside, so Aaron was clearly home. "Aaron?"

He entered the house, glancing in the kitchen and the living room, dismayed to see that both were empty. He poured himself a glass of wine and headed upstairs. Maybe Aaron was in their bedroom; it was quite late and his lover was most likely asleep already.

He opened the door of their bedroom slowly, careful not to make a noise. The bed was made neatly, all of the clothes that had been strewn across the bedroom floor (most of them Spencer's) placed neatly in the now full laundry hamper. Spencer glared at It; he would have to do the laundry tomorrow. There was no sign of Aaron though. 

"Aaron?" Spencer was getting worried now. He heard the door creak open and reached for the baseball bat that he insisted they keep under the bed, for safety. Aaron had laughed and called him paranoid when he'd brought it up, but Spencer reminded him of the gun the Colonel kept under his pillow and Aaron quickly agreed, scowling at Spencer. The young doctor tiptoed down the stairs, the bat held up awkwardly. He entered the living room, hiding behind the wall as he watched a man enter his house. 

The intruder was wearing a black t-shirt and black and white track pants. His hair was dark like Aaron's but Spencer couldn't make out any of his other features in the dark. The man has his back turned and was rummaging through the kitchen drawers. Spencer watched with narrowed eyes as the stranger picked up a knife. He tiptoed across the room, mentally cheering when he didn't make a sound. He raised the bat high over his head, anxiety building as each moment passed and the intruder was still in his house.

He gasped when the stranger turned around and knocked the bat out of his skinny hands, clamping a hand over his mouth when he opened it to scream. "Spencer?" His lover asked, his voice high and incredulous. He released the younger man, who immediately gasped for breath and glared at Aaron. "Sorry. I've been on edge lately."

"It's okay." He smiled at Aaron impishly. "But I did good, didn't I? You didn't notice me until I was right behind you." Aaron  mock -glared at him as he entered the kitchen to get something to eat.

"Actually, I knew there was someone in the house as soon as I enter the kitchen. But, good try." Aaron patted his cheek condescendingly, kissing Spencer when he pouted. 

"What were you doing outside?" Spencer asked as he bit into his apple.

"Chew first, then speak." Aaron chided. He leaned against the kitchen counter. Spencer watched him with hungry eyes. His lover's lean, long body seemed to fill the entire room. "And to answer your question, I was training in the garage." Spencer nodded in understanding; their garage was huge, and Aaron liked to park his car outside (made for a quick getaway, he said), so he'd converted it into a gym so that he could train. Being an assassin was physically demanding, although Aaron always said that he used the gym to train for triathlons. Spencer was no fool; he knew what Aaron did in that gym. 

"Let's go upstairs. I've had a crap day." Spencer said, then raised his eyebrow salaciously. "Maybe you can make me feel better?" Aaron rolled his eyes but went up the stairs anymore. Spencer watched Aaron's back, muscles rippling as he walked. Yup, sex would be good. Sex would distract him.

Aaron took his shirt off and placed it in the hamper. Spencer already had his pajamas on and he settled himself into bed, watching as his now shirtless lover walked around the bedroom, preparing himself for sleep. "Aaron! Come to bed now." Aaron pointed at his ear and shook his head, and Spencer rolled his eyes. "Please."

Aaron smiled and climbed into bed next to him. Spencer curled up next to Aaron, laying his head on Aaron's broad chest and kissing his neck slightly. Aaron kissed his forehead and stroked his hair slightly, but didn't do anything else. "Sorry, bud, not tonight. I have a meeting early in the morning. But we can talk about whatever's bothering you." 

Spencer pouted. "That's okay. I don't want to talk about it."

"Spencer." The young doctor sighed and pulled away from Aaron's chest to lay his head on his pillow and lay on his back. He stared up at the ceiling.

"Dr. Foyet is up to something.  I told him about my progress on the serum and..." Spencer started,  sighing  at the memory. He turned to face Aaron, who seemed to be listening intently, eyebrows raised.

"And?" Aaron prompted.

"He wants to move on to human subjects." 

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Aaron asked, a concerned look on his face. 

"Potentially fatal. He knows that too... I think he has some sort of hidden agenda, otherwise he wouldn't push the tests forward so much. He said that the serum is going to be used as a military weapon." Aaron looked confused.

"A weapon?"

"The serum enhances cognitive ability. It's shown to improve your reflexes and ability to learn from mistakes and make you stronger. I'm pretty sure that it could revolutionize soldiers in our military, make them super soldiers for lack of a better word." Aaron nodded in understanding.

"What are you going to do about it?" Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose. What would he do?

"I don't know, Aaron." He sighed once again, laying his head on Aaron's chest. "What can I do?"

"I would say talk to Dr. Foyet, but judging by what you've told me about him, I don't think that'll really help." Aaron stroked his forehead. "You'll figure something out, babe. I know you will, and whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be the right thing."

"How do you know?" Spencer asked skeptically, sitting up to look Aaron in the eye. Aaron smiled and kissed him on the forehead. 

"Don't worry, Spencer. Everything will work out fine." Aaron closed his eyes and for the first time that night, Spencer saw how tired his lover was. "Good night." 

"Good night." Spencer replied, closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep. But, no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't drift off to sleep. He laid awake, his eyes wide as all of the possibilities ran through his mind.

Finally, he got out of bed, carefully extracting himself from Aaron's arms. He smiled as he saw Aaron shift in bed and reach for a pillow to replace Aaron's body. He reached inside his bedside drawer and grabbed a notepad and a black marker.

_** Going to the lab. Be back soon.  ** _

_** Love, Spencer. ** _

_**** _

He wasn't sure he prompted He laid the note on the table next to Aaron and smiled one last time at him. He grabbed a t-shirt and a coat and quickly put them on, toeing down the stairs to put his shoes on. He slung his satchel over his shoulder and grabbed his cell phone. 

He glanced back at the door as he exited, butterflies flitting around in his stomach. But they weren't good butterflies, they were butterflies of dread. 

Spencer made it to the lab in less than an hour. The door was closed and locked, but that was not an obstacle for Spencer. He deftly opened the electronic keypad's box and focused on the wires intertwining. Blue, brown, white, green, and red. Spencer grabbed his wire cutters from his bag and quickly snipped the red wire, deactivating the keypad. The doors unlocked and Spencer quickly entered the laboratory, running around security and up the stairs, two at a time. He knew the elevator had security footage; avoiding them would be best. 

He entered the laboratory, walking as fast as he could. He poked his head into all of the labs, confirming that they were empty. He approached the large mahogany door at the end of the hallway, pausing a moment to stare at the sign that blared out "Dr. George Foyet". That's what it said, but what Spencer saw was: "You're going to get screwed." He knew he would be fired if he was caught, maybe even arrested. 

He picked the lock of the door as quickly as he could; JJ had a short fling with an ex-con and he'd taught JJ, Emily, and Spencer a few tricks. Spencer let the door close behind him softly, approaching Foyet's desk with unease. He hated being in this room, being in front of this desk; the only time he'd been in there was to be yelled at for being incompetent or being too slow.

He sifted through the papers on the desk. No yellow paper. Where was it? An image flashed in his mind. Foyet's hand grabbing the paper...shoving it somewhere. Upper leftmost drawer. He pulled the handle open, his heart beating faster as he saw the yellow paper. He grabbed it with shaking hands, unfolding it to see a name at the top. In the back of his mind, he heard footsteps approaching the office.

_ Hankle. _

And then everything went dark.

** || End Chapter Four || **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters will be coming out more slowly as i'm trying to make them really good now that they have actual plot in them. Again, sorry this chapter was short. It was the best way to separate the events that were occurring, otherwise the timeline would become even more warped.


	5. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron discovers that Spencer has been kidnapped; his team shoulders their way into te investigation along with Emily and JJ. Spencer meets Charles Hankle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all once again for your comments and kudos! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope I did Aaron's POV justice. Perspective changes are signaled by a double line, but I make them pretty clear anyways.
> 
> Shoutout to anyone who recognizes Aaron's house number!

 

The sunlight streamed through the large ceiling-to-floor windows, kissing the face of the sleeping figure on the bed lightly. Aaron opened his eyes blearily, one hand going up to rub at his eye and the other patting the space next to him in search for warmth from another body. He frowned slightly when his hands didn't find that warmth. Aaron sat up in bed, instantly awake. He reached underneath his pillow with one hand, fingers touching the cold metal of his gun while his eyes shifted around the room, evaluating the closet doors and bedroom door. He glanced at the bedside table, relaxing when he saw the note that had been left on the table.

He released his gun and smiled as he read the ending of the note. Love, Spencer. That four letter word lessened some of the annoyance he felt at Spencer leaving their bed without telling Aaron. He knew Spencer loved him, and he reciprocated those feelings fully. He couldn't wait to hear those sweet words come from Spencer's mouth. His voice would gets little bit higher and he'd speak faster from nerves. And his cheeks would be deep, deep red. He loved seeing that blush on Spencer's cheeks; it made him look impossibly adorable. 

Smiling at the thought of his lover, he walked out of bed and deftly grabbed his dress clothes for work. He sent a quick text to Spencer.

_ Just woke up. When will you be back today? I'm making a surprise for dinner tonight. Love, Aaron.  _

Aaron smiled as he thought of Spencer; the young doctor would probably start trying to determine exactly what the surprise was. He never understood the concept of a surprise, especially when Aaron was giving the surprise. Aaron showered quickly and grabbed the note from the dresser as he went downstairs to have breakfast. He knew he was acting like a sentimental fool, but the sight of the world love had him grinning.

Aaron fixed himself a pot of coffee, reading the note once again. He looked through his phone, checking his messages and frowning at the " No new messages" notification. He knew Spencer always kept his phone on him (it was actually Aaron who insisted on Spencer doing that, stating that it was for his safety) but he may have been 'down the rabbit hole' as JJ and Emily liked to say, completely absorbed in his work. It worried Aaron when his lover became absorbed in his own kind ; an amazing gift that turned into a cage with a simple thought as a trigger, and Aaron could do virtually nothing about it. 

He busied himself by making scrambled eggs, shutting off his thoughts about his lover slowly in order to slip into his work persona. He had a reputation for being cold, emotionless, serious; a hardass, his employees liked to say. His phone rang loudly just as he began to eat his bacon. He glanced at the screen, stiffening when he didn't recognize the number. He glanced around the room and out the window before picking up.

"Colonel Aaron Hotchner." He said in his most no-nonsense, curt tone, using his full title as an intimidation tactic.

"Aaron? It's JJ." Aaron smiled at the sound of the blonde's voice. He was a little confused as to why she was calling though. He detected a tremor in her voice, a tremor of nervousness and fear in her voice. He attributed it to her being afraid to talk to him. Emily did seem like the more confident of the pair, and his dismissive tone when he answered the phone probably didn't help matters either. 

"JJ, what can I do for you?" He said warmly, smiling into the phone.

"Is Spencer home?" Aaron frowned, his brows furrowing in concern.

"He isn't here. He's not at the lab?" 

"No. I've tried calling his phone...it keeps going to voicemail! I don't know what to do!" Aaron examined Spencer's note closely. Be back soon, it said. He narrowed his eyes.

"Calm down, JJ. I'm coming to the lab; it's the last place Spencer was." He stated, grabbing his backup gun from the drawer in the kitchen. JJ bid him goodbye as he grabbed his badge and bag. He ran upstairs and took his gun from underneath his pillow, the cold metal against his skin reassuring and calming his now racing heartbeat. He paused at the bedside table for a moment, then grabbed Spencer's glasses and the picture he kept of the two of them, placing them in his bag gently. He glanced around the room one last time, then rushed out of his house, the goal of finding his lover the only thing in his mind.

* * *

 

Aaron walked as fast as he could into the lab, trying to maintain the little composure he felt he had left. He smiled at JJ when he arrived, receiving an uneasy smile in return. 

"Thank god that you're here. I've been so worried." Aaron nodded in understanding as JJ led him to what was presumably Spencer's workplace, trying to keep himself calm. He examined the doctor's workplace, taking in the immaculate surface, boxes full of organized supplies and color-coded files neatly stored underneath the desk. He smiles sadly when he sees a candid photo of him and Spencer held up on his little whiteboard with a heart magnet. Spencer was too adorable for his own good. He shoved that last thought into the depths of his mind, distancing himself from the case, from Spencer. If he wanted to find his wayward lover, he would have to be just the doctor. Nothing more than that; otherwise, emotions would get involved and emotions cloud even his reliable judgment.

"His workplace is clean. Is it normally like this?" He asks JJ, although he's pretty sure the answer is a yes. JJ nods, confirming his suspicions. Dr. Reid had slightly obsessive compulsive tendencies. 

"His mice are still sleeping...if he worked with them last night, then surely they would be awake now?" Aaron asked, looking to JJ for confirmation. So Spencer didn't come to the lab to work on research or to conduct more tests. That left one other possibility, related to what they talked about last night. Aaron tried not to think about Spencer's smile when he laid in bed next to Aaron. No. Not Spencer, Dr. Reid. 

"Is Dr. Foyet here today?" Aaron asked, turning to JJ who shook her head. 

"We received a memo stating that he's going on a vacation for the next two weeks." Aaron frowned. How convenient.

"Did he announce this vacation earlier?" 

"No. It was really sudden. I think he's been stressed lately...he may be an ass, but I think he deserves this vacation." JJ replied, her brows furrowing in concern. "Why?" 

"No reason." It was not a coincidence that Foyet went on a vacation the day after Dr. Reid was kidnapped. Aaron didn't want JJ getting involved in the project though; it could be potentially dangerous and he couldn't guarantee her safety.

"Just wondering. I wanted to ask him some questions." JJ still looked suspicious.

"This is my best friend, Aaron. My best friend. If you know something, you have to tell me." Aaron sighed; she was stubborn wasn't she. He could tell that some of that tenacity had rubbed off on Spencer as a result of their years of close friendship. Aaron ran a hand through his hair and looked at JJ, studying the fire in her cool blue eyes and set of her jaw. 

"I think Foyet is involved. I'll tell you more, but not here." He said, keeping his voice low and turning slightly to the left and tilting his head. JJ's gaze followed his body and head, finding the security camera. She nodded at him. "Will I be able to go into Foyet's office?" 

JJ shook her head. "No. It's locked. And there's a camera." Aaron sighed. Foyet's office would give him the most context as to how exactly Dr. Reid got kidnapped, as it was most likely the abduction site.

His phone rang loudly, interrupting JJ who had just opened her mouth to say something. He reached into his suit pocket and took it out, giving JJ an apologetic look.

"Yeah Dave?" 

"Where the hell are you?" Dave sounded furious, annoyed...worried. "The fucking NSA Director is waiting for you!" Aaron muttered a curse; he'd forgotten about his debriefing today. 

"Something's come up. I'm using my vacation days." Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose. He was thankful that he had thirty-one days saved up. One usually did not go on a vacation on their own. 

"You're going to be gone for a month?! Did you meet a pretty boy?" Dave asked, and Aaron could hear the smile on his face and the waggling of his brows. 

"..." Aaron didn't answer.

"Oh my god, you did! When can I meet him? How long have you been seeing him? You've been with him for a while haven't you?" Dave rapidly fired questions at him.

"No. He's gone." 

"What? Did he leave you?" Dave would never admit it, but he sounded very concerned then. "What's going on, Aaron?" 

"He was...kidnapped." There was silence at the other end of the line. Finally, Dave spoke, his voice tremulous and worried.

"I'm coming over." 

"No, you're not. I'm handling it." He didn't need anyone else in his life getting hurt. He would save Dr. Reid and then everything would be alright. 

"Aaron. You are my best friend, and you have your entire team's help whether you want it or not." Dave hung up.

"We're going to my house. I have some...friends who will be helping us." JJ looked skeptical, but she nodded anyways. "You should call Emily." 

JJ went off to do that, leaving Aaron standing in front of Spencer's desk. He stared at it for a long while, wishing that he could just close his eyes and when he opened them, see his lover sitting hunched over, working. He blinked fast, feeling a burning behind his eyes, then quickly turned away from the desk, taking the small notebook out of his bag and beginning to write. 

He wrote Spencer's full name on top of the page and then filled in everything he knew about the kidnapping and Spencer. He drew a line from Foyet to Spencer and wrote boss on it. He drew lines from Emily and JJ to Spencer, marking them as friends. After some deliberation, he added his name and drew a line to Spencer. Fiancé, he wrote, because he knew now that Spencer was his and would be forever. 

JJ entered the room. "Aaron? Emily will meet us at your house. I filled her in on everything that's happened." She looked like she wanted to say more but when she saw his face, she stopped and asked hesitantly, "Are you okay?" 

Aaron tore his gaze away from his notebook and looked at JJ. He nodded slowly. "Let's go."

Aaron pulled up at his house, narrowing his eyes when he saw his entire team standing on his porch. Garcia gave him a sheepish smile and Morgan looks worried. Dave was talking to Emily, who grew increasingly scared as he spoke. 

"Thank you for coming." He said, standing in front of them. The neighbors were peeking out of the windows, he noticed, probably wondering what the lonely man at house number 509 was doing with so many well-dressed people. Aaron ignored them and kept his face impassive, trying to control his microexpressions . "Are all of you aware of the situation?" His team nodded and Emily confirmed with a sad smile. "We'll talk inside." 

Aaron unlocked the door, not bothering to take off his shoes or jacket. The group stood in his living room, varying degrees of fear and concern on their faces.

"Emily, JJ, these are my team members, David Rossi, Penelope Garcia, and Derek Morgan." He pointed to each person as he introduced them. Emily and JJ smiled uneasily at them. "Guys, meet Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau."

"Call me JJ." The blonde said when she was introduced. Garcia smiled at the pair while Morgan and Rossi nodded curtly. 

"Hotch, what's going on? Rossi just said you need our help finding your partner?" Morgan asked, crossing his arms and giving Aaron a significant look.

"My partner, Dr. Spencer Reid, was kidnapped last night. I have reason to believe that Dr. George Foyet was involved in the abduction." JJ looked at him, surprised. 

"And what reasons would that be?" She asked, mimicking Morgan's posture.

"Spencer thought that Foyet was up to something suspicious." The others gave him questioning looks. "Dr. Foyet wanted him to test his serum on human subjects. Spencer believed that Foyet was skipping the regular stages of testing because he had a hidden agenda, maybe a buyer or something." He elaborated.

"What's so special about this serum?" Morgan asked, writing something down in his own notebook. 

"It's a biological booster of sorts. It enhances your brain function, resulting in faster reflexes, increased critical thinking, sharper senses and a whole host of other effects." JJ answered.

"Foyet was planning to use it to make supersoldiers." Aaron finished. Garcia looked horrified. 

"What relation do you two have to Dr. Reid?" Morgan asked, eyeing Emily and JJ. 

"We are his best friends." Emily replied, raising her brow as if she was daring him to challenge her. The three government agents stared at the pair.  Morgan glanced at Aaron, eyebrows raised.

"Can I have a word, Hotch?" Aaron nodded and led Morgan to his kitchen. "Are you sure we should have civilians on this mission?" 

Aaron sighed. "If there's one thing I'm sure about in this mess, Emily and JJ are going to do whatever it takes to help find their best friend. You won't convince them not to help." Morgan looked unconvinced. "Morgan, they can handle themselves. But if it makes you feel better, you can give them basic stealth training and self-defense lessons." He held Morgan's gaze for a minute, staring the other man down. Morgan looked away and nodded. 

"You have a lover?" Morgan asked with a shit-eating grin. Aaron rolled his eyes and gave him an unamused look. 

"Yes, and he's getting more and more hurt every minute that passes." Aaron stated, his voice cold. He knew that Morgan was trying to cheer him up, but the only thing he could see in his head was an image of Spencer smiling. The thought of not seeing that smile again terrified him and motivated him to keep looking.

The pair returned to the rest of the group, joining the discussion on what to do next. Aaron listened as Rossi and Morgan bounced ideas off of each other with Emily and JJ providing information to them. Garcia typed away furiously at her laptop, smiling at Morgan. Everything would be okay, right? He had the most elite spy team in the government. He didn't just have that team though, he fucking lead it. They would rescue Spencer.

Right?

* * *

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes, blinking as he regained his senses. There was a bright light shining in his eyes and he turned his head away from it, gasping when he realized that he was most definitely not in his bed. 

The room was small and cramped, like a shed but slightly bigger. He looked down to see that his hands were bound tightly to the arms of the metal chair. No wonder his neck had been aching, he'd been sleeping upright. Spencer tried to speak but there was a large cloth shoved in his mouth. 

His heart began to beat faster as he inhaled deeply. The air was clean, with a scent of the wind and leaves. Yeah, he was probably in a little shack. Near the woods, he guessed when he heard a wolf howl in the distance. 

The door opened and a shadowy figure entered. The man was tall, slightly shorter than Aaron actually, and he had what blonde hair. Spencer could see the remnants of a five o' clock shadow from when he turned his face slightly. 

The man sifted through some things on the table; Spencer cringed when he heard the sharp clang of metal. He pleaded to be released; the man smiled at him wickedly, finally revealing his face.  He pulled away the gag from Spencer's mouth.

"Tobias?" He asked, recognizing his childhood best friend. He never forgot a face, but this one was especially memorable. Where was the chubby cheeks and wide blue eyes, he asked himself as he observed Tobias's flat icy eyes and hardened expression. They'd talked a lot; Tobias understood what it was like to feel like a reject, to feel unwanted and unneeded. 

"My name is Charles, boy." Tobias, no, _Charles_ , sneered. Spencer's eyes widened. "But you can call me _sir_."

"Wh-what do you want with me, sir?" He stuttered, leaning back in his chair to get away from the hostile, aggressive, dangerous man standing in front of him. Charles's eyes narrowed.

"I want you to suffer." Charles snarled, lifting Spencer's chin up with a rough hand.Spencer whimpered pitifully, his body shaking in the chair from constrained sobs. The wind chilled him, causing him to shiver. 

"Please! What did I do?!" He asked, cowering. Charles grabbed the nearest object and threw it against the wall. Spencer released a small  yelp  at the sound of a vase cracking and breaking. Charles turned and glared at him. 

"Don't pretend you don't remember!" Charles ordered, grabbing Spencer's shirt collar and pulling him up. Spencer whimpered once again; he was a scientist. He had no self-defense training whatsoever. Charles shook him back and forth, causing Spencer's whimpers to increase. " _Shut up!_ " He wrapped a meaty hand around Spencer's throat, squeezing tightly. Spencer gasped for breath, mouth open but no air reaching his lungs. His whimpers halted and Charles released him. Spencer coughed to get rid of his mucus and took a bunch of huge gulping breaths. He felt lightheaded; when he risked a glance towards Charles, the man looked pleased at the pain evident on Spencer's face.

Charles's fists descended on him, an uppercut to the jaw and a gut punch making him double over in pain. Pain exploded behind his eyes and he cried out. Charles bared his teeth as he slapped Spencer. Spencer licked his lip, unsurprised at the metallic tang. Blood. 

 

 He clung to the thought of Aaron as he began to fade into unconsciousness.

_ Save me, Aaron. _

** || End Chapter Five || **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron learns a startling fact about Spencer's mother and tries to cope with the loss of his lover while Spencer suffers in captivity.
> 
> *RAPE WARNING*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter has rape in it. If this is a trigger, then please skip the first change to Spencer's point of view.

"Garcia, what have you found out about Foyet?" Aaron asked later that evening. The blonde looked up from her computer to give him an apologetic look. 

"Nothing much, bossman. Happy family, mother and father. He was an only child, excelled at school with high honors. He graduated valedictorian of his class and went on to MIT where he graduated in the top one percent of his class there too. He founded his own company shortly after graduating and everything has been uphill since then." _Not anymore,_   Aaron thought. Foyet would regret ever doing as much as  _ breathing  _ when Aaron found him. He would make the bastard pay for every single fucking hair missing on Spencer's body, every wince and flinch, every bruise. Aaron  felt  sick at the thought of bruises on Spencer's beautiful, pale body.

"Anything suspicious in his bank accounts?" He asked. Garcia gave him a bewildered look.

"I don't know what you mean specifically, sir. Everything looks okay?! He has no debt, no hedge fund activity, nothing. Tip-top shape." Garcia looked terrified.

" How  long have you been doing this  job , Garcia? How long?" He demanded when she didn't answer him. The blonde looked up at him through her kitty glasses, her mouth gaping and eyes wide. 

"S-six years, sir." She stuttered, quickly looking away when his frown lines deepened. 

"Then do your fucking job!" Morgan and Rossi looked up from their conversation at his raised voice. Morgan observed Garcia's watery eyes and Aaron's stern expression and opened his mouth, clearly angry that his baby girl had been hurt. Rossi gave Morgan a meaningful look, and the other man eventually backed down. 

Aaron knew he should apologize. He knew that Garcia was trying her best, that she wanted to help him and that she was. But all he could think about was Spencer. Aaron prided himself on being afraid of very few things. He wasn't afraid to kill a person. He wasn't afraid to run into a burning building. He definitely wasn't afraid to use a gun. He wasn't afraid of dying or leaving his family or loving someone or seeing someone else die.

But in this moment, he was afraid. He was goddamn _terrified_ of losing Spencer. 

So he his sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Just...look to see if he's withdrawn a lot of money lately. And look into Spencer's past and see if any of those people are connected to Foyet in anyway." 

"O-ok." Garcia said, fingers immediately flying over the keyboard. Aaron turned away and went to his study, shutting the door with a bang. He knew he was being a jerk. And that made him angrier. How had he lost his control over this situation, over his life, over himself?   


He sat down at his desk and held his head  I  his hands, breathing slowly. He needed to center himself, he realized. Aaron pulled out his wallet and looked at the picture of him and Spencer he had in there. He stared at his laughing lover and flipped to the next picture, his official government badge. He couldn't be the guy who was smiling at Spencer. Right now, he had to be the stern faced, serious man who would die for his country (as indicated by his heavily decorated military uniform). 

A knock sounded on the door, pulling him from his thoughts. "Come in." He called out, voice rough. 

He expected to see Dave, maybe Morgan. Instead, he was faced with a badass stubborn-as-hell black-haired woman named Emily Prentiss. 

He gave her an expectant look, too tired to use his manners or care that he was being rude. Emily crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. He met her gaze with his own, seeing the sadness, worry, and determination in them.

"We are going to Spencer's old apartment. Does he still have boxes there?" She asked. Aaron shook his head, pursing his lips. Spencer still owned that apartment, but he had almost nothing there. 

"All he has there is a couch, some cooking supplies, and an old desk." Emily's eyes widened at the mention of the desk.

"Desk?" Aaron nodded, understanding her confusion. Why would Spencer need that desk? He'd brushed it away as one of his lover's adorable quirks, being a packrat. "We need to see that desk." 

"Why?" Emily opened her mouth and closed it a few times. 

"It's his mother's old desk." Spencer never really talked about his mother. It had been somewhat of a sore topic, but Aaron understood better than anybody that in some cases, the past was better left hidden. 

"Were they close?" He asked curiously. Emily seemed even more confused before she closed her eyes and sighed.   


"Spencer never told you?" Emily asked slowly. Aaron furrowed his own brows in confusion. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to see that desk. Come on." Aaron pursed his lips at being ordered around (that's what he said, but he knew he was upset that Spencer hadn't told him some evidently big detail about his mother) but nodded anyways, getting up. His jacket flapped, revealing the gun on his hip. 

Emily gave him a bewildered look when she saw the gun. "Why do you have a gun, Aaron?"

"I'm ex-military. It's a habit." He knew he was lying but Emily really didn't need to know what he did for a living.

"So you always carry a gun with you?" She asked as they approached his car. Aaron gave her a flat look before starting the car.

"Only in potentially dangerous situations." He began driving slowly and steady, focusing on the road although he still felt Emily's gaze on him assessing his white knuckles and dark gaze. 

 

* * *

 

* * *

Spencer slowly came to, the now familiar bright light blinding him momentarily. He squinted as his eyes tried to adjust when To-Charles's face was suddenly over him, an ugly expression present. 

"Good, you're awake." He said, one large hand approaching his face. Spencer froze up at the sight and closed his eyes tightly. A harsh, cold laugh sounded above him and Spencer cautiously opened his eyes to see Charles laughing. 

The hand caressed his cheek, the touch not gentle but rough and calloused, as if it burned his skin. Unlike Aaron's touch, the burning was very unpleasant. Spencer turned away from him, causing the fingers to tighten around his jaw. 

"What's the matter? You don't like my touch?" A voice whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver. Spencer could feel a bruise forming on his jaw, adding to the many he'd already received from the monster standing above him. "You should be grateful that I'm willing to touch you..." The hand on his face trailed down to his pants. " _You're filthy_." The hands pulled his pants down to reveal his boxers.

Spencer shivered and closed his eyes. "Please don't." He begged as Charles pulled his shirt off his body. "Please! Hit me, torture me, I don't know. Just don't..." 

"Don't what?" Another harsh laugh. There were goosebumps on his naked flesh. "Stop? Okay, I won't stop." One finger trailed down his chest, circling his belly button before tracing his hips. 

" _Aaron._ " He mumbled as his boxers were removed. Charles's sadistic grin made him cower further. 

"Is that your faggot boyfriend?" The sound of a zipper going down overwhelmed his ears and the word "faggot" replayed in his mind over and over on an infinite loop playlist. "You don't even deserve him. You're nothing."

Those words were punctuated by a rough kiss to his lips. It wasn't like Aaron's rough kisses, which left his lips tingling and his eyes blown wide; no, this kiss was bruising, like Charles wanted to suck the life right out of him.

Spencer gasped for breath as he was turned onto his stomach. A knee was wedged between his thighs, shoving them apart before he underwent the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt in his life. 

"Please don't do this. I'm sorry." He begged one last time, turning water eyes to meet Charles's inky black gaze. The hand on his hip tightened before Charles shoved himself in all the way, causing Spencer to scream as loud as he could. 

The only thing he could feel was a burning inside his body flowing from his ass and leaving no patch of skin untouched. He couldn't breathe...his head felt like it was underwater and everything was moving too fast for him to process, to comprehend. 

"You love this don't you, you dirty fucking slut?" Every word, every syllable spoken was like a dagger to his chest, unmistakably clear amongst the blood rushing through his ears.

And it never died down...it kept going, building up and getting louder and louder until Spencer could do nothing but feel himself break apart bit by bit, wishing for an end he knew would not come. 

 

* * *

 

* * *

"It'll be okay, Aaron, don't worry. We'll find Spencer." Emily said after a few moments of silence, a hand coming to rest on his arm. Aaron shrugged it away and kept his gaze on the road, willing away the anger that bubbled up inside him at her attempt to console him. How does she know everything will be fine? For all they know, Spencer could be dead already. 

Aaron stayed silent, ignoring Emily's attempts at conversation. The ten-minute ride to Spencer's apartment seemed like an eternity with the suffocating silence in the car. He pulled up to the building and exited his car, stopping when Emily grabbed the back of his jacket.

" _Don't touch me._ " He demanded in his sternest, most intimidating voice. Emily did so, staring at him with that pitying look he despised. Why was everybody trying to talk to him today? He just wanted to save his lover, goddamn it. 

He stormed upstairs to Spencer's apartment, not bothering to wait for Emily as he stormed inside. Spencer's apartment was a decent size, just enough space for one person to live. Everything had been moved out two months ago; Aaron smiled fondly as he recalled the sweltering day. He'd purposely worn his tight athletic shirt to see Spencer get all flustered watching him carry boxes out of the apartment. Of course, Spencer had gotten his revenge by obscenely licking a popsicle right in front of Aaron. That was a lesson he'd learned well: Never challenge a genius and an MIT grad. 

"Ugh. Eight freaking floors up." Emily complained, pulling Aaron from his thoughts. "And no elevator." She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips as she tried to catch her breath. Aaron ignored her obvious attempt at humor and approached the desk, already viewing it in a new light. There was a feeling in his gut telling him that this desk was the key to finding Spencer; Aaron wasn't one to ignore his gut instinct.

He crouched down next to the desk, running his hands over the smooth wood as Emily pulled open the various drawers. The desk was a sickly green color, probably from lack of cleaning and mold, but had the wear and tear of being used often. He could imagine Spencer sitting there, sandy locks falling into his eyes as he wrote in his chicken scratch-like print. 

His fingers ran over the grooves of the desk, coming to rest when he felt a foreign bump. This didn't feel like the rest of the wood. He pushed against the little groove, frowning when nothing happened and leaning forward to examine it more closely. After a moment he noticed that part of the wood was raised and pushed forward ever so slightly. In order to notice it, you'd have to be looking for the little drawer. Aaron pulled it open, staring at the books inside. 

"Emily." He said hoarsely, taking the notebooks out with the gentlest of care. There were at least seven of the small Moleskine notebooks. He flipped through one, observing the well worn pages with a critical eye. Each notebook was filled with long, graceful script. This must be Spencer's mother's handwriting, Diana's handwriting. "I found something."

Emily abandoned the drawer she had been searching and came to sit on the floor next to him. She took one of the notebooks from his hands and read the first few pages, growing increasingly worried. 

"I had no idea it was this bad." She said, her tone full of incredulity and pity. Aaron's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What was so bad?" Emily stared at him for a long moment. "Tell me, Emily."

"Spencer's mother was, sorry, is schizophrenic." Aaron's eyes widened in shock. Why had Spencer never told him? "Spencer admitted her to the Bennington Sanitarium when he was eighteen. I never knew it was this bad." She held out the notebook to him.

_ October 12th, 1994, _

__

_ There was someone watching the house today. He was staring at me from the window, but I could tell that he was actually watching Spencer who was playing with his car next to me again. It's not safe for him here...that man wants him. William still isn't back from the grocery store. What if the man took him too?  _

Aaron closed the book, feeling like he was invading Mrs. Reid's privacy by reading her journal. He noticed the date again. It was Spencer's fourteenth birthday. Spencer was away at college then...Diana must've been hallucinating when she saw that man. "Where was Spencer's father?" 

"He walked out on them when Spencer was young." Emily replied, her voice sorrowful as she read some other notebooks. Aaron  felt  another wave of pity for Spencer, imagining a young boy taking care of his mother, becoming a man far before he was ready. His heart swelled in pride; his lover was so strong, so hard working and persevering. 

"Aaron, this Tobias kid is mentioned a lot." Emily's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "He was supposedly Spencer's best friend." 

"I'll check what Garcia has on him." He said, already dialing the analyst. "Garcia? Can you look for anyone from Spencer's past with the first name Tobias?" 

"Just a moment." He could hear her rapid typing. "Tobias Eaton, lived next to Spencer for over ten years. He made many many trips to the Emergency Room over his formative years with injuries indicative of abuse. His mother walked out on them when he was young. That was when the ER visits started. Nothing too freaky yet, but get this. At the age of fourteen, his father dies, and he's found at the scene with a gun in his hands. He goes free because it was...self-defense. But after that, there is nothing about him, nothing at all. And that is not normal."

Aaron frowned. His gut told him that this Tobias Eaton was definitely involved in the kidnapping. "Check with his mother's maiden name. He might've decided to use a different last name." Rapid clicking and typing followed this statement.

"You are a genius, Hotch-rocket." Aaron almost smiled at the nickname. "Okay. Tobias Hankel, entered a mental hospital for two months when he was seventeen where he was diagnosed with mild bipolar disorder. He checked himself out when he turned eighteen and he's been living on his father's farm ever since. Recently, he called the same number an astonishing number of times. Tracing the number now."

"The number belongs to one George Bernard Shaw, a ridiculously obvious alias for...oh my lord. Dr. George Foyet."

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief.

Aaron turned to Emily. "This Tobias kid is something else, but how did you know that he's related to the kidnapping?"

"I had a feeling." He said vaguely, reaching for another notebook from the pile and reading the first few pages. He immediately closed the book when he read Diana's words describing in vivid detail what the voices she heard were saying, what they were telling her to do, what she thought she saw. It was disturbing.

"I think we need to talk to Spencer's mother. We don't have enough information on Tobias Hankel." He said slowly. Emily seemed absorbed in reading.

"Emily." He said louder, causing her to look up from the book and give him a sheepish look.

"Sorry. It's just...some of this stuff makes me wonder how Spencer turned out so well, you know. His mother was the person who was supposed to guide him, show him the way, care for him; it seems like the roles were reversed." Her tone was pitying, and Aaron found himself getting angry on Spencer's behalf.

"Spencer doesn't need your pity. He needs us to find him. " He snapped, his mind returning to the image in his head of his lover working intensely. Emily looked shocked. She opened her mouth to apologize probably, but Aaron held up a hand,  halting  her speech in its tracks. "Come on." 

"We'll meet at the airstrip to take my plane to Las Vegas." Aaron said, texting Dave and Morgan while he walked back to the car.

"You have a plane?" Emily asked incredulously as they sat down. Aaron nodded stiffly and began driving.

"Military property." He lied smoothly. Emily laughed at that.

"Aaron, I have friends who were in the military. Not anyone just has their own plane." 

"I'm not just anyone." He fired back, pressing down on the pedal just a little bit harder. Go faster, he ordered the car, I do not want to have this conversation. He risked a glance towards Emily, who looked skeptical. "I'm a Colonel. A heavily decorated and high ranking military officer; that status comes with certain privileges." 

"Wow. Spencer just told us that you were a Colonel...he never really explained the prestige of that." She looked contemplative. "Did you serve in a lot of wars?" 

Aaron nodded once again, easing back into his seat. This was relatively safe territory. "Afghanistan twice and Iraq once. I was going to be deployed once again... three months ago, actually, but I pulled a few cards and called in some favors."

"Were you afraid?" She asked curiously.

"I'm not afraid of war. I didn't want to leave Spencer." He said, his tone becoming clipped again. He was naturally a private man; the fact that his lover was missing was only heightening his desire to avoid talking about their relationship. 

"What medals have you earned?" Emily asked, sensing the dangerous waters she was venturing into and retreating wisely.

"A Purple Heart, Navy Cross, and a Medal of Honor." He replied simply although his chest swelled in pride. The things he had done for his country...the things he would do for his country, they could not be described with words. They could only be shown through his actions. And that was what he did and would continue to do for the rest of his life. 

"Oh my." Emily said, looking shocked. "Can I ask what you did?" Aaron nodded.

"I've done a lot of things that I regret but these few acts...they are the things that pull me through the night." He began, glancing at Emily briefly. She was looking at him with dark, serious eyes, all of her attention focused on him. "The first medal I earned was a Purple Heart. I was shot in my left shoulder in Iraq when I jumped in front of one of the newer recruits. A couple years later in Afghanistan I was with that new soldier again, he was actually a Major then, and we worked together to rescue our team from where they'd been captured. We both earned Navy Crosses for that." He said, smiling. That Major was now a Lieutenant Colonel, he thought. He'd have to call up the young man later; talking to an old friend would help him calm himself down. 

"And the Medal of Honor?" Emily asked softly. His gaze softened as he recalled that incident.

"I can't talk about that; it was a confidential mission. Still is." He said apologetically, watching as Emily's face fell. That was one mission he'd rather not remember...he hadn't told anyone about that mission, not even Spencer.

"Does Spencer know about it?" 

"Not yet." But he would tell his lover soon, if and when they got married. 

Aaron was no fool; he knew that Emily was trying to distract him from thinking about Spencer. And as much as he wanted to deny it, her tactics were working. 

Or at least they had been until she brought up Spencer again. Thinking of him caused fury to unfurl in the pit of his stomach, like a  phoenix  spreading his wings. It was fury at the loss of his lover, at the loss of his best friend, and the fact that he goddamn couldn't do the job that he'd thought he was so good at: protecting what he loved.

He stayed silent until the group boarded the plane, snagging his own seat far away from the others. Unfortunately, the rest of the group found seats close to him, even though they couldn't sit next to him. He took a book out of his briefcase and pretended to read it. The silence in the room was suffocating in its awkwardness. 

They wanted to talk to him, console him, help him feel better. But it seemed like no matter how many times he told them, no matter how many ways he told them, they just wouldn't understand that the only way to help him would be to fucking focus on finidng Spencer.

"No." He said when JJ opened her mouth. "I'm not talking about Spencer." She looked forlorn.

"Then don't talk." Dave said slowly, meeting Aaron's gaze and holding it. "Just listen." Aaron glared at Dave; he was the only person who hadn't badgered him lately and now he was turning on Aaron too? Unbelievable.

"Why should I?" He fired back. Dave gave him a look that conveyed infinite patience.

"It's not for you, Aaron. Emily and JJ want to talk about Spencer. They're his best friends. You're not the only person affected by his kidnapping." Dave replied. He hated to admit it, but Dave was right. He'd been very self-involved lately...he hadn't noticed the sorrow and fear in JJ and Emily's eyes, brushing it off as worry for him. 

"Do you remember when we met Spencer, Jayje?" Emily started softly. JJ let out a startled laugh, grinning fondly.

"How could I forget? He was so adorably awkward, remember?" 

"What happened?" Garcia asked, shooting Aaron a wary glance. The Colonel closed his eyes and leant back in his seat, pretending to be asleep when in reality, he was listening to their conversation intently.

"We were having our weekly lunch together at this cute little  café  near my boutique. And then Spencer stumbles in - literally stumbles - and spills his coffee all over my designs for my blouse, the designs that I spent six weeks perfecting." Aaron could hear the frown in her statement.

"You should've seen Emily's face when that happened." She pretended to stop and think for a moment. "Actually, you should've seen Spencer's face when Emily yelled at him. He looked like he was going to cry."

"I'm pretty scary." Emily interjected proudly.

"Anyways, Emily had of course taken pictures of her designs, but she wanted to mess with this adorable guy at our table, so she had him buy her a coffee. And it was at that point that we realized that he was special, you know?" JJ continued fondly.

"He drew my design again on the napkin that he brought me. It wasn't the best art, but it had all of the elements in the right place and the measurements were down to the hundredths. He told us about his eidetic memory and we spent the rest of the lunch quizzing him on several books." Emily laughed and there was no sound for a while, so Aaron opened his eyes and peeked at the girls who were looking at  picture that Emily had on her phone. JJ noticed that he was awake and smiled shyly at him. 

"Do you want to see, Aaron? It's a pic of Spence the day we met him." Aaron stared at the outstretched hand and nodded slowly. 

The picture wasn't the best quality, clearly taken when the owner of the phone was distracted. Spencer was wearing what Aaron recognized as his favorite sweater vest. His hair was long again, and he seemed to be intensely focused on a piece of paper in his hands. "We were having a drawing contest...since Spencer's version of Emily's blouse was hilariously horrible and Emily said that it was better than mine." JJ said, noticing that he was staring at the paper. 

He wanted Spencer here now; the young doctor would probably blush and protest that he was an excellent artist. The ensuing banter with JJ would be hilarious and at one point, Spencer would shift in his seat (definitely next to Aaron) so that his back would face his lover. Aaron could clearly imagine winking at JJ before leaning forward to tickle Spencer lightly. He could feel Spencer's lips on his when he kissed the younger man's disgruntled pout away (in private since neither of the two particularly enjoyed PDA).

"And there was this one time when I set him up with one of my friends on a blind date." Emily paused for dramatic effect. "Spencer started talking about rape statistics when he noticed the pepper spray in her bag. It was hilarious." 

"It'd suffice to say that she did not want to go on a second date. That was actually when we found out Spencer was gay." JJ finished with a smirk. 

"Remember that time we played Never Have I Ever?" Emily  burst  out laughing at the mention of that incident. Aaron leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "Spencer was completely sober at the end of the night, probably because most of the things we said were partying or taking drugs and other stuff like that. He was such an innocent kid."  Some thing  she said caught Aaron's eye and he opened his mouth to speak but Emily beat him to the punch.

"Is. He is an innocent kid." She said seriously, all traces of a smile disappearing from her face. 

A long moment of silence passed with all three of them absorbed in their thoughts. Yes, Spencer was alive. And he had to maintain hope that he would stay alive, Aaron realized, and talking about Spencer was one of the best ways to do that. 

"Do you have any other stories?" Garcia asked with a smile directed towards JJ and Emily. They both shook their heads.

"I'm trying to think of some right now." Emily said apologetically.

Garcia's smile faltered when she looked at Aaron.

"Do you have any funny stories to share about Spencer, Hotch?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. A thousand cruel retorts and hurtful remarks jumped to the tip of his tongue, all of them snakes recoiling in preparation for a fatal strike. But he didn't say them. Instead, he smiled slightly at Garcia, a smile that he hoped conveyed his regret and apologies for  his  treatment of her. Garcia's face brightened in understanding and she gave him forgiving smile in reply.

"We were at the mall one day, and this little girl on the escalator asked Spencer if he liked Taylor Swift. He smiled and nodded." He stopped to observe their faces. Garcia was eagerly listening to his words while JJ and Emily were beaming and smirking respectively, obviously guessing how the story ended. "And then when we got off the escalator, he asked me who Taylor Swift was." 

He paused as he recalled Spencer's face adorably scrunched up in confusion. "We've also tried playing catch together. Spencer has the hand-eye coordination of a two-year old." JJ said. Aaron chuckled.

"I got him to go on a run with me one time. I think our neighbors were traumatized." The group laughed.

 

"By Spencer's horrendous running outfit?" JJ pretended to shudder, and Aaron smiled when he thought of his lover's lime green tracksuit.

 

"Sure." He smirked. The girls laughed and oohed at his words.

 

Aaron continued to talk about Spencer, the pit in his chest feeling just a little less empty. 

* * *

* * *

Charles was standing in front of him, a strange look on his face...was that concern? He stared at his torturer, waiting for his expression to contort. 

"Spencer...I'm so sorry. I didn't think he would do this." Spencer blinked once, then twice.

"W-what?" He stuttered out, feeling incredibly confused. "Who are you?" And what have you done with Charles, his mind supplied. A part of him, a large part, thought that this was some sort of cruel ploy...a smaller part of him hoped that Tobias was talking to him.

"It's me, Toby! Your best friend!" The man exclaimed. Spencer could do nothing but stare at him with wide, unseeing eyes. He shifted in the makeshift bed, which he now noticed was just a pile of hay. When he moved, he saw that the hay underneath him was stained a dark, dark red. His stomach twisted. 

"This will make you feel better." Toby said ambiguously before bringing a vial and needle close to him. Spencer shrank away. 

"No, I don't want it. I don't want to do drugs." Tobias shook his head and gave him a patient yet condescending smile. "Please."

"This will make you feel good, I promise." Then Tobias stuck the needle inside his arm and pushed it down.

Spencer felt like someone was pumping a cloud into his body. He was floating above himself, seeing everything yet feeling nothing. He could see Tobias and found himself getting lost in those eyes, mouth open in shock as he stared at deep pools of blues and greens and oh that felt so goddamn good he needed more right now.

In the back of his mind, he could see the face of a dark-haired man smiling down at him and telling him that everything would be okay.

"Hello." He said to the face, reaching out with one hand before everything went dark.

** || End Chapter Six || **


	7. Meet the Parent(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron's meeting with Mrs. Reid does not go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> This chapter is short, sorry! I couldn't put this section in chapter six because it would've been way too much in one chapter...that being said, I'll try to make chapter eight super awesome :)
> 
>  
> 
> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND KUDOS! I can't believe that I have 48 (48!) comments and 86 kudos! I'm really glad you all like this fic.

They arrive in Las Vegas at 11:00 PM, the six or so hour flight leaving the entire group tired and sleepy. The group splits off into pairs and goes to sleep.

Aaron wakes up the next morning, his stomach clenching in trepidation as he realizes that he would be meeting Spencer's mother today. And although their relationship was kind of unconventional and Spencer's mother definitely wasn't normal, meeting the  parent(s ) was still a big deal in Aaron's book, and he needed it to go perfect. He wanted to impress Mrs. Reid, as he was planning on marrying her son after all.

"You look like you're going to throw up." Dave mused at breakfast. Aaron glared at him and Dave shrugged his shoulder in response.

"Thanks, Dave. You are so helpful." He said scathingly. 

"You're welcome, Aaron." Dave retorted, knowing that the lack of acknowledgment of Aaron's sarcasm would piss the Colonel off. The older man's gaze turned serious. "It'll be okay. Just don't say anything stupid, okay."

Aaron glared at his friend and resumed his silent freak out. 

* * *

The group arrived at Bennington Sanitarium a little after ten that morning. The building was quite dreary from the outside, an unappealing gray paint just adding to the rundown effect of the cracks in the cement. Aaron observed all of these details with a critical eye in order to calm his nerves.

He was a badass Colonel after all (Emily's words, not his). He can handle meeting his lover's mother. 

They entered the institution, stopping by the receptionist desk. On one end, a bored looking teenage girl was scrolling through her phone, her mouth smacking annoyingly as she chewed gum. On the other end, a blonde was smiling widely at the various visitors. When she spotted Aaron, her smile only grew wider and her hawk-like eyes were trained on him. Aaron headed for the teenage girl.

"We're here to see Diana Reid." The girl looked up at his voice to give him a quick  onceover .

"Relation?" She asked disinterestedly. 

"We're from the government." Aaron stated quickly, flashing his badge. The girl didn't look affected.

"Room 324." She stated pointing to what looks like an  infinite corridor .

"Thanks for your sterling service." He remarked before heading down the hallway. When he glanced back at the desk to make sure none of his ducks got lost, he saw the girl smiling at him. 

At least he made a friend. 

The butterflies in his stomach returned in full force when he saw the door marked 324. 

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Dave asked softly, a calming hand laid on Aaron's shoulder. The agent shook his head. 

"I'm okay." He said, looking into Dave's warm and concerned eyes. 

"Okay." Dave said after he evaluates Aaron's expression. 

"Okay." Aaron said with a nod. He smiled briefly, reassuringly at Dave before taking a deep breath and opening the door. It creaked as it swung open to reveal the occupant.

_Gaunt._ That was the first word that came to mind when he saw her. She was staring out the window, a quilt wrapped around her frail shoulders, a thin shield against the world. Her cheekbones were high like Spencer's and her hair the same color as his. She looked like a specter, like she was alive but not really alive.    


"Mrs. Reid?" He said softly, causing her head to snap towards him. He was taken aback by the blankness of her gaze, like she was a ghost with her wide and unseeing eyes. Spencer's eyes have always been wild with energy. "I'm Aaron Hotchner. I wanted to ask you some questions."

"Aaron?" Mrs. Reid parroted back, and the man nodded. He saw a spark of something in her eyes. "My son Spencer mentioned you in his letters. He's a genius, you know. IQ of 187!" She crowed in delight. Aaron kept his face carefully blank, so he didn't show his surprise at her mention of letters. He didn't know that Spencer wrote letters to his mother. He laughed bitterly in his head; of course he didn't know that, he had no idea that Spencer's mother was even schizophrenic, not to mention institutionalized. 

"I'm Spencer's fiancé. I'd like to ask you some questions about a boy from his past, if that's okay with you?" He asked politely. She looked contemplative, and Aaron considered repeating his request to make sure she understood.

"I suppose that would be okay. But no touching." She warned, her gaze turning sharp. Aaron nodded in agreement, although he was confused about her request.

"Can you tell me about Tobias Hankel?" He asked.

"He was Spencer's childhood best friend. Very sweet boy, you know, always following Spencer around like a little puppy even though he was so much bigger than Spencer. Spencer called him his protector." She had a dreamy sort of look in her eyes.

"Did his family have any property?" He pressed. Mrs. Reid didn't reply. Aaron reckoned that she was lost in her memories, judging by the dreamy haze clouding her eyes.

"Mrs. Reid!" He yelled, panic settling in. He needed answers. Now. The woman blinked and smiled at him. "Did Spencer ever mention a Dr. Foyet?" 

Mrs. Reid shrieked when she heard the man's name. She grabbed her pillow and threw it at Aaron,  standing  up and stepping back against the window. Aaron stood too, his eyes wide as he watched her slide down the window, mumbling something. He came closer but her mumbling only increased and she threw something else at him. Aaron ducked, thankful for his fast reflexes.

"Get out!" A nurse exclaimed in, rushing in when she heard the commotion. A doctor followed her with a really big needle in his hands. "She's having an episode."

"Wait! I need to know what she's saying!" He exclaimed and rushed to her side. Mrs. Reid was cowering against the window.

" _Don't trust Foyet_." She said, her eyes wild, but not like Spencer's. Her eyes were not brimming with energy, but rather insanity. "Don't trust him." She repeated. Then the doctor stuck the needle in her arm and she collapsed.

Aaron sighed and backed away from her, letting the nurse guide him outside. The girl at the receptionist desk gave him a look as if to say 'you are an idiot, man'. He scowled at her and joined the rest of the team who sat anxiously in the waiting room.

"Nothing new." He said to them, sitting in the chair and holding his head in his hands.

"It's alright, Aaron." Emily assured him. "We'll change our focus to finding Foyet. He seems to have a big part in this." Aaron nodded.

The team stood up and walked out the door. "You know, Aaron, you're usually supposed to make the parents crazy _after_ you get married, not before." Dave teased as they made their way to the car. Aaron shoved him lightly.

_ "Shut up, Dave." _

** || End Chapter Seven || **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I tried to write Mrs. Reid's character to the best of my ability.


	8. In Which Sins are Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Foyet's darker past is revealed; Spencer meets Raphael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG 90 KUDOS! I love you all so much!

"Alright, team, here's the plan." Aaron announced in his living room the next day. The team was sprawled out on his couches. Garcia had her laptop diligently set before her and the others were ready with their pens to start writing down their instructions. "Dave, you, Morgan, and Emily will go to search Foyet's office."

"How will we get in?" Emily asked. 

"Dave has a badge; that should buy you at least an hour." Dave held up his badge for them to see. It proudly declared him to be a member of the National Surveillance Agency. 

"JJ and I will search Foyet's house. Garcia, you'll coordinate from my house." He nodded to each person. JJ and he could pretend to be concerned coworkers if any of Foyet's neighbors got suspicious. 

"Let's go." Dave announced, and the team headed off in their separate ways. 

* * *

"I wasn't expecting this." JJ mused when they arrived at the house. Aaron put his binoculars down to give her a questioning gaze. "I don't know...I think the fact that he aided in the kidnapping of Spencer made me think that he was like a movie villain, you know. Living in a big,  scary mansion  on top of a hill." Aaron chuckled at that image and resumed his surveillance of the house. No movement, no lights. It looked like no one was home. 

"I forgot that he was -  is  - my boss." She paused, and her voice got quieter. "I guess in my mind he became subhuman when he took my best friend from me." 

Aaron squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Promise me that we are going to get this bastard, Aaron." JJ demanded. Aaron looked into her eyes and saw the anger, the fury, the pure hatred for that man. 

"I promise." He said, knowing that his gaze mirrored hers. They stared at each other for a moment in a comfortable silence before Aaron looked at his watch with some modicum of trepidation. They'd waited for an hour now with no movement inside or outside the house.

"I think we can go in now." Aaron said softly. JJ nodded, looking grateful for the distraction from her thoughts. The pair exited the car and headed to the normal-looking house, looking like perfectly normal people. Aaron could feel his gun in his left shoe, pressed against his leg reassuringly amongst the noise in his ears. 

Aaron tried the door knob optimistically, but it was locked. JJ stepped in front of him and brandished a  bobby  pin. Her deft fingers moved with skill and familiarity as she expertly picked the lock.

"I have a few tricks up  ny  sleeve too." She said with a mischievous wink when Aaron stared at her incredulously. 

The pair entered the room with Aaron leading, his gun up and ready. JJ looked a little disconcerted when he pulled it out of its holster on his hip . "You really are part of the NSA, huh? I knew what you told Emily was bullshit." She said. Aaron held up a finger to signal her to be quiet, which she did after rolling her eyes. 

Aaron checked each of the rooms, eyes darting around and body always ready to fire, to attack and injure but not kill. His muscles were practical vibrating with energy as he moved with efficiency. 

"Clear." He said, standing in the living room. Now that he'd assessed the house, he could observe all of the details. 

"I'll check his study?" JJ asked. Aaron nodded. 

"I'll check his bedroom." If there was a safe or vault, it would most likely be in  hid  bedroom or his study, the places that he presumably spent the most time in. He went up the stairs, noticing the creakiness. The house was undoubtedly old. There were some pictures of a typical happy All-American family, but Aaron could see past the facade. A father like Dr. Foyet was undoubtedly controlling and strict. He would need for his kids to be perfect, and if they weren't...then they would be punished, and he knew it. 

There were four bedrooms on the second floor and two bathrooms. Aaron checked each of the bedrooms, finding one guest room, and two bedrooms decorated for children. The last bedroom, the biggest, was the master bedroom.

It was tastefully decorated with rich, dark colors on the walls and softer floral prints; the perfect meshing of masculinity and femininity. However, there was no sign that a couple even lived in the bedroom. He thought back to the blankets and pillows he's seen hastily shoved under the couch. The perfect family, he thought with a snort. Aaron ran his fingers around the wall, searching for ridges and grooves. There was nothing.

He removed each of the paintings with no luck until he removed the painting hanging next to the bed; an odd spot for a painting. A small safe was there, luckily not a combination lock. He thought about getting JJ to pick the lock, but with more careful examination, he realized that it was an H1K model safe from the CMI Safe Co. The lock would be too complicated to pick without a professional kit.

But the key had to be close by.

Aaron observed the contents of the nightstand, eyes running over the jewelry and other objects. There was dust on everything, he observed with a wrinkled nose... everything except for the picture of Foyet and his wife. He picked the slight frame up and flipped it over. When he pulled open the hook securing the back of the frame to the picture, a tiny key fell out. 

He opened the safe quickly, peering inside with trepidation. When he saw its contents, he groaned in disappointment. All there was a little slip of paper. It read:

_ Isaac's death and triteness's end. Men part for us always. Fred's gun is hid on tenth Diheene. _

Aaron read the message multiple times, trying to decipher it meant. It looked like gibberish, complete nonsense.

"Aaron?" JJ called out as she entered the room. "Did you find something?" He handed her the slip of paper, mulling the words over in his head. 

"What does this mean?" She asked him after reading the paper. Aaron shrugged.

"I don't know. We'll figure it out." JJ looked skeptical. "What's more important is that he left a message for someone to find, didn't he?" The blonde nodded hesitantly. "That means that he must own some secondary property for them to meet at. And Garcia can track down any property that Foyet is even remotely connected to."

"I didn't find much in his study. Just a passport for a man by the name of Jack Sullivan; it had Foyet's picture on it so it must've been an alias." She said. Aaron furrowed his brow.

"Why would he leave this passport?" He asked. "It would make more sense for him to have all of his aliases with him. Better safe than sorry, you know?"

"Maybe the real Jack Sullivan is dead." JJ said. "And he could be arrested for identity theft." Arrested.

"Or maybe he was already arrested and is a wanted man." Aaron said. ''Death certificates can be easily destroyed...but criminal records, those can only be sealed." He elaborated when JJ looked confused, already dialing Garcia's number as they exited the house.

"One Tech Goddess at your service. How can I make your day a thousand times better?" She answered perkily.

"Get me Jack Sullivan's criminal record." Aaron demanded as he and JJ got in the car.

"Yes, sir. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." She replied.

"Thanks, Garcia." He said, then ended the call. 

* * *

 

* * *

"Who are you?" Spencer asked the dark-haired man. "Where am I?" He sat up, expecting to be bound to the chair, but was pleasantly surprised when there was no rope rubbing against his chest. He was sitting on something soft, a couch he realized, in a brightly lit room. The room wasn't like the shed though...it was spacious. There were many, many bookshelves surrounding the couch, and directly in front of it was a big fireplace and a television sitting on the mantle. It looked familiar.

The dark-haired man just smiled and petted Spencer's hair softly; his smile dropped though, when Spencer flinched away from the touch. He was very handsome, Spencer thought as he observed the man moving around the room. He was tall and very well defined as shown by the tightness of his t-shirt. He was wearing gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, both clean and made of clearly fine material.

"What are you looking for?" He asked curiously. The man turned and smiled at him once again before bending down to look underneath the coffee table in front of the couch. Spencer valiantly tried (and failed) not to look at his ass. 

The man handed him a slim black case. Spencer opened it hesitantly, eyeing the man from the corner of his eye. He opened the case, laughing in delight when he saw that it was a DVD for the first season of Star Trek, the Original Series. 

"This is my favorite!" He exclaimed, grinning at the man, who raised an eyebrow as if to say 'yeah, I know'. The action seemed familiar and there was a niggling, insistent instinct in the back of his head. "How did you know?" 

The man ignored him, instead taking the DVD from him and setting up the VCR. Spencer laid back against the couch, a cloud of euphoria surrounding him as he became entranced. When the first episode ended, he looked to the man and gave him a brilliant smile. His smile faltered when he saw the sadness in the man's eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked.  Then the man was speaking, his mouth moving and words being said, but Spencer couldn't hear them.

"What?" He asked. The man repeated the words, but Spencer couldn't hear anything. "I can't hear you. Why can't I hear you?" He exclaimed, his chest heaving and his head spinning. He felt like he was drowning. The man's face contorted into an ugly expression.

"Wake up!" 

Spencer opened his eyes, gasping for breath as icy cold water rushed down his entire body, seeping into the thin clothes he was wearing. No matter, he thought bitterly. They would be removed soon enough anyways. He glanced towards the blonde-haired man pacing the room...Charles was back.

"I'm sorry." He said meekly, ducking his head when the man turned to face him. There was a couple beats of silence, and he glanced up to see that Charles's face was expressionless, completely closed off. He'd been expecting a scowl at the very least, maybe a leer.

"You have sinned." The man began. Spencer's hands started to shake as he realized that the man's voice was different; it was neither Toby's nor Charles's voice. "And you shall suffer." His eyes widened.

"W-who are you?" He stuttered as the man pushed him down so that he was lying on the ground on his back. It was a quite uncomfortable and awkward position, considering how he was still tied to his chair.

"The water will wash away your filth." The man vanished from his sight and returned with a huge bucket. Spencer's eyes widened.

"Please don't! Please!" He begged, but was ignored once again. Spencer's cres were drowned out by the cold water being poured all over him, going in his mouth, up his noses,  everywhere.  His body wasn't drowning but his mind told him he was. Another wave of water crashed down over him, again and again and again until all he could hope for was the sweet darkness that always eventually reached him.

But it never came. Just as he felt his vision begin to fade, whether from panic or suffocation he wasn't sure, he was being righted. He coughed, his throat burning as all off the water in his lungs was expelled in multiple huge gaps. 

"You are still tainted." The man stated, capturing Spencer's chin with one large hand. He turned away from the touch, his skin prickling and hairs standing up on end. "It's in your blood." 

Spencer whimpered when the man took off the wool socks covering his feet, revealing pale soles. He closed his eyes when he felt the first blow, screaming at the burst of white that rocketed up his foot and to his brain. By the time he recovered, there was another blow to his other foot and so on until Spencer couldn't do anything but gasp for air and beg for an end. The man finally withdrew, a look of horror crossing his expression.

"Spencer!" Spencer's mind was spinning. He knew that Tobias was back, but a part of him, the instinctual part, identified him as a predator and an attacker. He screamed and tried to move away from him. His chair toppled over and he was an inch away from the cold wooden floor of the shack. Tobias's hands were on him then, lifting his chair gently and untying the bonds around his wrists and chest. "Are you okay?"

Spencer wanted to yell at him. He wanted to tell Tobias that he was a monster, a killer, that he was responsible for Spencer's pain. But when he looked into Tobias's eyes, he saw innocence, lots of innocence, and guilt lurking behind the innocence. Tobias wasn't aware completely, but he knew that he, his father, and that other man were one and the same in the back of his mind. So, he nodded mutely; just because his innocence was gone didn't mean that he would steal Tobias's.

"Raphael hurt you badly." Tobias said as he inspected Spencer's feet. The young doctor hissed when Tobias touched a particularly painful spot, the shock and pain momentarily clouding his mind. Raphael must've been the other man. Were there any other personalities? He sincerely hoped not. "I'll make you feel better."

"No." He gasped out when Tobias brought over a vial and a needle. "No." He protested weakly, already submitting to the pure pleasure flowing through his body.

_ His mother was sitting in her chair, staring out the window. She turned to him and smiled. It was a real smile, one that made him think that maybe she wasn't having an episode. Maybe she was normal. _

__

_ "How was school, Spencer?" She asked kindly. Spencer was about to answer when a small voice came from behind him. _

__

_ "F-fine." He turned and gasped at the sight of a twelve year old him standing in the doorway with his head ducked down. The boy raised his head when his mother spoke. _

__

_ It was that day...the day that he was lured out to that fucking goalpost and tied up. The memories came rushing back to him when he saw the bruises covering his arms and face. _

__

"No one's going to get you." Spencer turned around confused. "No one is looking for you." The voice claimed, more forcefully this time. And then there was pain shooting through his head and he realized that Charles was standing in front of him, an wicked smirk on his face.

He whimpered.

* * *

 

* * *

"Okay, bossman." Garcia said, giving him an incredulous look. "I don't want to know how you found this Jake Sullivan guy. He had an expunged record, but things like those are mere flies." She frowned. "And I guess I'm the fly swatter.  Ick ." Aaron gave her a look.

"Sorry. Jake Sullivan aka Dr. George Foyet, murdered a woman in her home. He attempted to murder her child, but the boy, four years old by the way, hid in a chest in their study. Poor little boy." Aaron frowned.

"What's the mother's name?" He asked. 

"The first name is Haley...no last name given. The family wanted it left out of the police report." Garcia frowned and typed something on her laptop. "But, the son's name is Jack." Aaron almost gasped. Haley. His fiancee, Haley. But no, it couldn't be her. It just couldn't. She didn't have a son, anyways.

"Do they have any abandoned residences?" JJ asked. Garcia typed away in a frenzy. 

"Only the house that Haley was murdered in, 76 Birch Street."  Aaron frowned.

"Maybe that's where Foyet is going to be meeting his partner." Morgan suggested. Aaron nodded.

"We'll head there tomorrow." He glanced around his team. Everyone looked exhausted. "You all should sleep...I have a guest room and blankets if anyone wants to sleep on the couch here or in my study." Emily and JJ took the offered guest room and Morgan said that he could sleep in Aaron's study and Garcia in his living room. Dave patted his shoulder comfortingly as he exited.

There was a voice in the back of his head...and it was telling him that this was a bad idea.

** || End Chapter Eight || **


	9. Attacked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron is attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big week guys! Sorry for the late update. I was on vacation and I got distracted by other plot bunnies (which will be posted in the near future). 
> 
> We've written 1000 fanfics!!! I'm so proud!
> 
> And thank you everyone for giving me over a 100 and over 50 kudos. You guys really make my day.

"Spencer." There was a hand shaking his shoulder insistently. He turned away from it, absorbed in the sweet darkness. The dark-haired man was massaging his shoulder, his hands huge but gentle anyway. Spencer shuddered, the thought of the raw primal power contained in those hands arousing him. "Spencer!"

"Huh?" He blinked as he came to. "Tobias?" The blonde man was looking at him with concern.

"Tell me about your research, Spence." Tobias asked bluntly, folding his hands under his chin and leaning forward. The chair he was sitting on was turned around so that the back was facing Spencer and Tobias was sitting backwards.

"What?" He asked confusedly. His research? "Why?"

"Just do it." Tobias snapped, his expression immediately softening when Spencer flinched back. "Please Spencer. Tell me everything you know about the weapon."

"I don't understand." Spencer said softly, his eyes wide but unseeing. His body was aching, vibrating in pain. It was making it very hard for him to focus. Tobias's face contorted into an ugly expression, his eyebrows drawing together closely. A scowl appeared on his face, replacing the pleasant, understanding smile.

"Tell me!" Charles snarled, spit flying from his mouth to his face. Spencer reared back, making a face. Charles's meaty hand   grasped Spencer's chin then slid down to his throat. Fingers clenched around the delicate muscle, causing Spencer to gasp and struggle in his chair.

Black spots danced in his vision and slowly overtook his eyes. Spencer smiled lazily as he sank into the welcoming arms of the unconsciousness, eager to go back to the dark-haired man who he now knew to be his lover.

 

* * *

* * *

 

Aaron pulled up to the unassuming Victorian house on 76 Birch Street. The house had clearly been abandoned; the blue paint was peeling and the roof and porch both looked dilapidated. He exited the car with a sigh, trepidation building in the pit of his stomach. He had a bad taste in his mouth.

"Go around back." He said to Dave and Emily. He and Morgan headed up the porch stairs, guns up and ready. Aaron checked the door first, but to his dismay, it was locked. He was unsurprised. Morgan stepped back and rammed into the front door, watching with a slight smirk when the thin wood rattled on its hinges and swung open.

Aaron burst in first, cocking his gun and swiveling around while checking the most immediate hiding places. The living room and kitchen were both deserted. Dave and Emily's footsteps could be heard in the back. He gestured for Morgan to go downstairs.

Aaron headed up the stairs, his grip on his gun tightening until his knuckles paled. The stairs creaked under his weight.

Once he reached the landing of the second floor, he immediately checked the closet next to the stairs, breathing out slightly when he realized that is was empty. Without realizing it, he'd shifted into a work mindset, employing every skill of stealth he had in his extensive arsenal.

His ears perked up when he heard movement in the room at the far end of the corridor. He moved silently over to the offending door, almost tiptoeing.

The door was unlocked. He twisted the doorknob, sending a short prayer for his safety. He closed his eyes and pushed the door open, gun up and ready. There was no one in the room.

He checked all of the closets and the bathroom nevertheless, feeling slightly paranoid. His gut was never wrong, he thought with a frown. He placed his gun on the bedside table and looked at the picture that was there, his heart beating faster.

It was his Haley. His. The one that he was supposed to marry. The one that thought he was dead. The one that was killed by the bastard Foyet.

He cradled his head in his hands, tears beginning to stream down his face. When he looked up, he saw something behind the curtain, a dark figure.

He smirked to himself and grabbed his gun. Check, he thought as he approached the curtain. He wanted to see the bastard's face before he shot him. Aaron pulled the curtain open, frowning when he saw nothing but a cardboard cut out of a person. It was a trap.

Then his gun was knocked out of his hands and he was pushed to the floor, landing on his back. He glared at his assailant, Dr. George Foyet. Foyet smirked at him.

"Gotcha." He leered. Aaron's glare darkened. He kicked his leg up, catching Foyet right in the solar plexus and jumped to his feet. He almost laughed at the pain in the man's expression as he doubled over. Aaron shoved him back against the wall and landed a punch square to his jaw. Foyet groaned.

Aaron was high on adrenaline and rage. This man took everything from him. Everything.

He landed a particular vicious kick to Foyet's stomach.

"You should've seen Haley's face. Her tears tasted so good." Foyet taunted. Aaron's hands balled into tight fists. He scowled at the man, punching him again. He wished that he could kill Foyet, but he needed answers.

"She had a son. Did you know that Aaron?" Aaron froze. He pulled Foyet to his feet and shoved him against the wall again.

"Shut the fuck up." He snarled. Foyer adopted an innocent expression, although his eyes gleamed and his teeth were stained with his blood.

"What was his name? Joe? John? James? Jack. Yes, Jack." Foyet looked contemplative. "He screamed a lot too."

Aaron growled and smashed Foyet's head back against the wall. The doctor groaned. "Shut up. Jack didn't die. My son didn't die."

He turned around to compose himself. That was his first mistake. The next minute, he was on his back, staring up at Foyet who was shoving a knife into his chest. Aaron gasped and bared his teeth even through his pain, keeping his eyes on Foyet. The older man's eyes were burning with satisfaction as he watched the knife slide in and out of Aaron's body.

"Relax and it goes in easier." Foyet mocked. Aaron spat in his face, causing the doctor to glare at him.

"Aaron?" Dave called out. He could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Foyet smirked and stabbed him one last time viciously. Aaron could feel his vision going back and fought to keep his eyes open. He wouldn't let the bastard have the satisfaction of seeing him in pain, of seeing him weak.

"That's my cue to leave." Foyet chuckled darkly. "You have a good day now, Colonel." Foyet mock-saluted him and jumped out of the window, landing with a soft thud. Aaron tried to sit up and let out a groan of pain.

Dave and Emily appeared at the doorway, horrified expressions appearing on their faces when they saw Aaron's bloodied state.

"Oh my god!" Emily said, rushing forward and ripping his shirt open. She held a hand to get mouth and turned away, promptly vomiting over the red carpet. Aaron turned his face away.

"Get an ambulance here now! A colonel is injured!" Dave yelled into the phone. "Yes, a real Colonel!" Aaron felt sorry for the 911 operator.

Emily had recovered from her initial disgust and was staring at Aaron with pity as she applied pressure to his wound. Morgan entered the room, panting to catch his breath.

"Sorry Hotch. He got away." Morgan said, looking devastated. Aaron smiled reassuringly and groaned when Emily pressed a particularly sensitive spot.

"It'll be okay. The ambulance is on it's way." Dave soothed, running his hand over Aaron's forehead, which was slick with perspiration.

"Haley." Aaron choked out, his eyes brimming with tears. Dave looked surprised before his expression softened in understanding and sympathy. "He killed my fiancée."

Emily looked confused.

"I'll find out everything I can. That bastard will pay for everything, Aaron, I promise." Dave swore, his voice full of conviction and rage on the behalf of Aaron. Aaron let himself close his eyes, finally giving in to the pain.

 

* * *

* * *

 

"Please!" Spencer begged when Raphael removed his shirt. The rope around his chest was loosened, a small comfort for what he knew came ahead. He was pushed up against the wall, with his face smashed to the brick.

"You have disobeyed, so you must pay." Raphael said emotionlessly. He withdrew a whip and ran his fingers over the leather. Spencer's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, struggling against the rope that was binding his feet to the chair. It was a quite awkward position. "Please, please, please don't hurt me!"

His voice was lost in a litany of cries and pleas amongst the sharp smacks of the leather against his fresh, pale unmarred skin. The first one came as a shock, a jolt to his system that was entirely unpleasurable. Eventually, he got used to it, anticipating the whoosh of the whip as it sliced through the air but never anticipating the degree of the pain that followed.

His legs gave out on him and Raphael paused. There was a sound outside, like a wolf howling, but Spencer was too much in pain to really be sure. His back was throbbing. He slumped to the ground and rested his head against the wall of the shed, looking around the room properly.

The door of the shed was left open.

Spencer got on his hands and knees and began to crawl forward, every bone in his body protesting. His blood was rushing through him as he tried to make it to the door.

He pushed himself hard, forced himself to keep going. Just as his fingertips grazed the sweet soft dirt of the ground, a boot crushed his fingertips once again, making him howl in pain.

 

* * *

* * *

 

When Aaron woke, he was dressed in a tacky hospital gown and his stomach hurt like hell. He blinked wearily and looked to his side to see Dave sitting in the chair, his head lolling in an uncomfortable angle.

"Dave?" He rasped. The older man immediately woke up and handed Aaron a glass if water with a smile.

"Hey." He said softly, his eyes wide with concern. "You feeling better?"

"As good as someone in my position can feel." Aaron retorted drily.

"Rossi? Do you want chocolate pudding?" Aaron recognized the voice to be Morgan's. The dark-skinned man walked in, almost dropping the cup he had in his hands when he saw that Aaron was awake.

"Hotch! I'm so sorry." Morgan said, pulling up a chair next to Dave. Dave took the offered cup of pudding with a grin. "I let him get away."

"It's not your fault Morgan." Aaron assured him. The young man still looked guilty but he returned Aaron's smile with a little one of his own anyhow.

"We may know what that message means." Dave said. Aaron's gaze snapped to his best friend. "Garcia, bless her soul, figured it out."

"It's an anagram. Well, partially." Morgan explained. "The first line, 'Isaac's death and triteness's end.', refers to 180, the age that Isaac was when he died according to the Bible. The rest of the line is an anagram for Dennis Street. We decided the rest of the message. Well, not we, Garcia. Her computer program."

"The message says: 180 Dennis Street. Apartment 4S. Sway left. Eighteen hundred." Dave finished with a little grin.

"Sway left?" Aaron repeated. "What does that mean?"

"Instructions. Probably son sort of automated rifle shot or something for unwelcome intruders." Morgan made a face. "He's a sick bastard isn't he? Imagine what happens when he orders pizza."

Aaron laughed despite himself. Morgan looked pleased.

"We're going to get this bastard, Aaron." Dave promised, squeezing Aaron's hand tightly.

|| End Chapter Nine ||

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was enough action.
> 
> On another note, has anyone seen Torcheood? Janto is one of my OTPs (although that kind if defeats the purpose of an OTP if I have more than one, but whatever, rules are made to be broken).
> 
> Children of Earth broke my heart. And now I'm a little bit in love with John Barrowman :)
> 
> Excuse the rant. Thanks for reading like usual ;) x)


	10. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day, Aaron and his team confront Foyet at his apartment with the aid of the now decoded message. 
> 
> *This summary is crap, I know. I can't say much more without spoiling the chapter!*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the next chapter guys! I think this will make most of you very happy.

"Aaron! I brought you your favorite pudding!" Aaron could hear Dave's voice in the hallway. His best friend clearly didn't care that there were other patients in the hospital. The Colonel rolled his eyes as he bent down to tie his shoelaces on his boots, shaking his head to himself. His abdomen protested weakly, but he ignored the twinge of pain that coursed through his body. He'd faced much worse. "What the fuck do you think you're doing out of bed?!" 

Dave dropped the pudding on the floor and rushed to Aaron's side, trying to shove him back onto the bed. Aaron easily sidestepped the attack. "I'm ready. We're going after Foyet today."

"What?! No fucking way. You're not healed yet." Dave started fluffing up the pillows and fixing the sheets. "I made your bed. Get in." Aaron pinched his nose.

"I'm fine Dave." He said exasperatedly. 

"No, you're not!" Dave yelled, clearly getting frustrated. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't want you to get hurt, Aaron."

"And I don't want Spencer to get even more hurt." He snapped. Dave's expression softened. "Besides, it's a little too late to worry about me getting hurt. I was fucking hurt from the moment that Foyet decided to take my Spencer. So don't you worry about me being hurt, Dave!" His voice rose heard the end of his sentence and his chest heaved as he fought to regain his breath. One glance at Dave and he immediately regretted his outburst. Dave was watching him with disappointed, sad eyes.

"I'm sorry Aaron. If this is what you want, I'll support you." Dave's eyes narrowed. "But just know that as soon as you get out of that apartment, you're getting medical attention." Aaron nodded his agreement to those conditions.

"Thank you." He blew out a deep breath and retrieved his things from the chair next to the bed. He was sick of this hospital, of these walls, of the feeling that he couldn't do anything to help Spencer. It was suffocating him slowly. 

"Are you sure about this?" Dave asked Aaron for the hundredth time. Aaron shrugged his bulletproof vest on, rolling his eyes at Dave's mothering. He added a few tranquilizer darts to his belt. As much as he'd like to just kill the bastard, he wanted -needed- to get answers from Foyet first. 

"Yes Dave." He said exasperatedly, bending down to check the contents of his duffel bag. He had packed all of his heavy artillery, just in case Foyet managed to escape him. If that highly unlikely event happened (it was just

as likely if hell froze over or if pigs flew), then he'd give Morgan the go ahead to gun the bastard doctor down.

"What about your stitches? They're not completely healed yet!" Dave protested, hovering by Aaron's side as the younger man carried the duffels out of their safe house. Morgan and the girls were chatting outside, sipping the lemonades that Dave had prepared earlier. They looked up when Aaron neared the car. 

"The doctor said it was okay." Aaron replied shortly, handing the duffel with  th  heavy artillery off to Morgan. He knew that Morgan would appreciate what was in there; his marksmanship was second only to Aaron's who proudly maintained the record as the best shot in the National Surveillance Agency at least. He'd never tried to go against those holier-than-thou CIA dickheads. "Stop mother- henning ." 

Dave huffed and stormed over to the side of the car to sit down. Aaron rolled his eyes again at his best friend's childish antics. His whole body was buzzing with excitement and energy, ready to do some serious doctor-whooping. Well, he was only interested in kicking one doctor's ass. The other missing doctor... he'd have to think about him later, so that his emotions didn't get even more involved. Foyet already had his long-lost son on him and would undoubtedly use that to his advantage.

Aaron added another gun to his right ankle, the weight feeling quite unfamiliar. He breathed out deeply to calm his now jittery nerves and briskly walked to the driver's seat.

"Everyone ready?" He asked once he'd buckled up. He received a chorus of affirmations. The drive began in relative silence, everyone lost in their thoughts. He could tell from their faces that they were afraid, yet still determined to catch the bastard who had kidnapped their beloved Spencer and hurt their boss and friend Aaron ( boss  to Morgan and Garcia and Dave) and make him pay. It made him proud to know that he had all of these wonderful, brave, idiotic people as his friends. As his family.

"Everything with Jack is settled." Dave said quietly, not looking up from his phone. Aaron's jaw clenched and he nodded tightly.

His son, Jack, whom he didn't even know had existed until a week ago. He'd learned as much as he could about the boy since then. Jack was nine years old. He lived with his Aunt Jessica and was a very intelligent, kind, outgoing little boy. He was told that his father and mother were both dead and had took it marvelously for a little kid. Although he probably wasn't affected by his father's supposed death as he hadn't ever met the man before, Aaron thought bitterly. It made him wonder when Haley would've told him about Jack, if she was still alive. Would she have told him ever?

No, no she wouldn't. She thought he was dead. 

The thought sent shudders down his back. He loved his country, would kill for it and do anything for it. He would wholeheartedly die for his country but faking his death was swaying even his resolve. He was almost relieved that he wasn't allowed to meet or see his family because he knew if he saw them then he wouldn't be able to stay away.

He didn't have a choice now though. As soon as he got Spencer back, he would marry the young genius and reclaim his son. They would live happily ever after.

Aaron's jaw clenched tighter and he pressed down on the gas pedal harder. 

* * *

 

* * *

Spencer gasped as Tobias pricked his skin with the needle. He fought to keep his eyes open, pitiful whimpers escaping from his mouth but seizing when his jaw went slack and his eyes eventually  drooped  close. He couldn't see in the haze of pleasure he was experiencing.

"Oh god." He mumbled, his voice sounding funny to his ears. He could faintly make out Tobias grinning. Something was wrong. This wasn't enough. 

His veins were itching for more. It was supposed to be hazier. He wasn't supposed to be able to see the bastard's innocent fucking face. Spencer wanted to scream, wanted to rip of his restraints and throttle the man in front of him, but he couldn't. He was trapped in a cage of pleasure (and it wasn't a sex game for once).

He giggled at his own mental joke, the laughter bubbling out of him before becoming hysterical.

"Fuck." Tobias swore, his eyes wide as he injected himself also. Clearly, his dose was larger because he was much less lucid than Spencer. The blonde laughed and tried to stand up from where he'd been sitting cross-legged on the floor. He ended up falling on top of Spencer, his chest rubbing against the doctor's and his nose in Spencer's honey locks. 

Spencer wrinkled his nose mentally at the stench. He was soon distracted by what he thought to be a pixie flying around in the shed, brightly lit up (it was actually the light moving around and blurring in his unfocused gaze).

"Hey Toby." He slurred, shoving the boy laying on top of him none too gently. Even in his wasted state he felt resentment towards the man. It didn't surprise him that his hatred ran that deep. "Can you get these off of me?" He gestured to the ropes. Tobias looked up and seemed to blank out for a moment. Spencer opened his mouth to repeat his demand, a lazy grin still on his face.

"Sure, Spenser." Tobias replied. He extracted a switchblade from his pocket and brought it over to Spencer's chest with a shaky hand. Spencer's eyes widened.

"Don't cut me!" He threatened. He must've been stoned to be making threats in his position. 

"Course not!" Tobias exclaimed, seeming offended. "I'm really good with knives." He proceeded to cut the ropes around Spencer's body effortlessly. Tobias grinned and held up them knife triumphantly.

Suddenly, Toby frowned and his eyes drooped close, his fingers  uncurling .

The knife shook and slashed Spencer's arm. The younger man howled in pain, glaring at Tobias who looked pale at the sight of blood.

"Fuck." He said. "Fuck." His swearing got louder, but Spencer didn't really care. Tobias had cut one of his arteries. The blonde man quickly ripped off a bit of his t-shirt and tied it sloppily around Spencer's arm, clearly going by muscle memory. He must've been or gotten hurt enough times in a drugged state to know by heart what to do. 

"G'night, Spency." Spencer wrinkled his nose at the nickname, watching as Tobias fell to the ground in an undignified heap. He soon followed, his hands ending up being fisted in Tobias's hair as he lost consciousness.

* * *

 

* * *

Aaron  felt  a strange sense of deja-vu when he pulled up near the dingy apartment building on Dennis Street. It was a far cry from the house on Birch Street. 

He parked the car and continued to size up the house. He was strangely calm. Unlike before, his heart wasn't racing and his hands weren't shaking. He was perfectly composed and collected.

It was the fury coursing through his body. It was like all of the blood had been drained out and he was running on pure adrenaline and rage. He loved that feeling of flying high above everything else, of having such an out-of-body experience

"Listen up team!" He said quietly in the car. Foyet would get suspicious soon if the black lingered for too long. "Knock out people who get in your way only. We want this job to be clean and mess-free. Morgan, you and Emily go in first. Dave, you and JJ go after them. Garcia you can stay in the car. Make sure to move it away from the building, but not too far away, alright?" He said, nodding to each of the people. Garcia nodded furiously. While he'd been in the hospital, Emily and JJ had both received firearms training but he thought it best if they stayed with the experienced members on his team, just in case. Better safe than sorry. "One last thing." He called out just as they began to pack up their things. "Foyet's mine." He said darkly. Everyone nodded their consent.

Dave patted his shoulder as he was beginning to get out of the car. He turned to his best friend, eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Listen, Aaron. Just be careful okay. I know the doctor said your stitches were fine, but don't stress yourself alright? You were only in the hospital for a week when you should've been in bed for at least a month." Aaron opened his mouth to explain but Dave cut him off with an impatient hand. "I understand why, don't worry. Just...be careful, okay? I don't want to lose my best friend." Aaron's eyes softened when he saw the fear in Dave's eyes.

"Everything will be fine, Dave." Aaron patted his shoulder lightly. "I promise." Dave looked reluctant, but eventually he followed Aaron out of the car with a half-hearted grin, meant more for Emily, JJ, and Morgan, who were looking at Rossi with concern, than for Aaron. The Colonel knew that his stubborn best friend didn't believe him, but he brushed it off and focused on preparing himself for the upcoming fight. 

They entered the apartment stealthily, rushing up the stairs in a tornado of military black boots and guns raised and ready. When they entered the fourth floor, the group rearranged themselves into the previously discussed formation. Aaron checked the corridors and signaled the others when he determined that there were no probing passerbys to interrupt them. 

It was strange, he thought wryly, that Foyet lived in such a normal looking place. Because of him, he and Spencer would never be able to have a normal life again.

That thought reinforced his resolve and he released his breath, turning the doorknob with confidence. Everyone immediately dove left. A sharp whiz rang through the air, silent except for the agents' labored breathing. Aaron stood first, then the others followed suit, carefully remaining away from the doorway in case Foyet was home. 

Aaron glanced at the wall next to him. There was an arrow impaling the floral wallpaper, covered in a reddish-black substance. At first glance it looked like blood but upon further inspection Aaron realized it was a tranquilizing poison secreted by spiders. He reluctantly appreciated the quality of the poison; it was military-grade, heavy tranquilizer, only one level below the tranquilizer in the darts he had on his person. Foyet must've had some pretty high military connections, at least Major level, to get access to these; either that, or the black market, which was unusually booming with military weapons. 

He signaled for everyone to enter, still a little miffed that he wouldn't get to go on it first. It was a natural instinct of his to go first to make sure that there was no danger for his team members. The role reversal had thrown his world off kilter, as had everything else since Foyet's attack. Aaron felt like a part of him had been ripped away, something that a voice in the back of his head wad telling him was his self-confidence. He ignored it.

A few moments of silence passed with Aaron hidden behind the door and waiting with bated breath. Finally, Morgan appeared at the door again.

"It's safe." He signed. They'd all agreed not to talk just in case Foyet had an audio trigger also. They didn't know about the possible booby traps inside the house. 

"Good. Find some places to hide. It's almost eighteen hundred." He ordered, his hands flying fast. Morgan furrowed his brow in concentration, working the meaning of the sentence over in his mind before nodding. 

Aaron entered the apartment, pulling the safety lock on his gun. They still had fifteen minutes before Foyet was set to enter the house. He'd probably see the arrow and realize that whoever that message had been intended for had arrived. He took a seat on the couch near the kitchen, grabbing a knife from the drawer as he passed. Rossi glared at him one last time and Aaron held his gaze unfearfully, conveying his certainty in his decision. 

Aaron couldn't wait to see his reaction when the doctor saw that the Colonel he'd stabbed had come for him, seeking vengeance. It made Aaron feel like Death, the wielder of the sickle. It was a powerful feeling.

Aaron smiled predatorily; he was the hunter once again. 

* * *

 

Foyet entered exactly fifteen minutes later, opening the door and easily dodging the arrow.

"Finally here?" Foyet called out, dropping something (groceries, maybe?) on the floor with a loud thud. "Was the message too difficult to decipher, M-" Foyet's arrogant taunt halted in its tracks when he realized who was sitting on the couch. Aaron smirked at the surprise and fear on the doctor's face.

"Actually, it was quite elementary." Aaron announced, standing and raising his gun. He approached Foyer like a prowling predator. The doctor backed up a few steps.

"Have you healed then, Colonel?" Foyet taunted. "I'd hate for you to get hurt again."

"I don't think that will be a problem." Foyet's hand trailed to his pocket and slipped inside. Aaron rolled his eyes and pulled the trigger.

Foyet slumped to the ground with a groan."

"Aaron!" JJ exclaimed, running to Foyet's aide and checking his pulse. Aaron wisely refrained from rolling his eyes this time, instead holstering his gun.

"He's not dead. It was a tranq gun." Aaron reassured her. JJ seemed skeptical, but after checking Foyet's pulse, she found that he was indeed still alive. Aaron gave her a brief I-told-you-so look, immediately schooling his expression into one of innocence when she glared at him. 

Morgan and Rossi hauled Foyet's limp body onto one of the wooden chairs at the dining table. Aaron made quick work of tying the man up, smirking as he pulled the ropes a little too tightly. 

Morgan dumped a cup of cold water over his face, forcefully waking the doctor up.

"Huh?" Foyet said incoherently when he opened his eyes, gasping for air. His eyes widened as he registered that Colonel Hotchner, Colonel Rossi, and Agent Morgan were standing above him.

"Welcome back." Aaron said, moving away from the man. He was disgusted by the mere sight of Foyet's face. "Where's Spencer?" He asked bluntly, crossing his arms and leaning against the back of the couch. Foyet looked away stubbornly. Morgan cocked his gun.

"If you don't answer, Agent Morgan will shoot you." Aaron threatened, keeping his voice calm and his expression indifferent. Foyet opened his mouth...and spit at the ground. 

Aaron nodded to Morgan who grimaced before shooting Foyet's foot. The doctor screamed, struggling against his restrains. His scream devolved into agonized groans, teeth ground together tightly. 

"Next time, he'll shoot a more sensitive place." Aaron said, emphasizing the word sensitive. "Now, answer me. Where is Spencer?" 

"I'm not afraid of you." Foyet snarled. He bared his teeth at Aaron.

"You should brush your teeth more often. They're quite yellowish." Aaron remarked, hiding a smirk at Foyet's disgruntled groan. "Answer the question." Morgan cocked his gun threateningly, aiming at Foyet's inner thigh.

"He's with Tobias Hankel." Foyet said quickly.

"And?" Aaron said, careful not to reveal that they already knew that. Foyet groaned again. He closed his eyes.

"I don't know." Foyet said. Aaron growled at him, his patience wearing thin. 

"Like hell you don't!" Aaron snapped, lunging forward and wrapping his fingers around Foyet's meaty throat. The doctor choked and gasped for breath, struggling futilely. It was like watching a mouse caught in a rat trap. 

"Aaron." Dave reprimanded when Foyet's face began to turn blue. Aaron sighed and closed his eyes, squeezing his fingers tighter before releasing Foyet. The doctor coughed rapidly and gulped in huge amounts of air.

"Tell me what you know." Aaron said, going back to his spot against the couch. Foyet glanced at Morgan and Rossi with shifty eyes.

"I'm only going to talk to you." Foyet demanded. Aaron signaled for them to leave. Rossi looked like he was going to protest but Aaron gave him a stern look, prompting the Italian to concede reluctantly. 

"Door." Foyet demanded. Aaron glared at him, but closed the door anyways. Foyet smiled like a shark.

"I'm surprised that you'd want to be alone with me again." Foyet started conversationally. "I thought our last experience together would've scared you." Aaron shook his head, scoffing. "Not even a little?"

Aaron came closer to Foyet, leaning in to whisper into the doctor's ear. 

"Not even a smidge." He hissed. Foyet smirked.

"Well, you should be." Foyet said and he pulled fee of his bonds, punching Aaron in the jaw. The Colonel reared back, one hand flying to his sore jaw and the other going to the wall to steady himself. "You should really search someone before you tie them up. They might just have a knife on them." Foyet twirled the thin blade in his fingers.

Aaron shot it out of his hand, smiling at Foyet's look of shock. "And you should never forget that I carry a gun on me."

Foyet backed away, leaning against the wall. Aaron drew closer, gun still raised. There was a knock on the door. Foyet took advantage of the distraction to shove Aaron away. 

"Aaron? Are you okay?" Rossi called out. Aaron leaped to his feet and fired at Foyet again. 

"Just fine!" He replied. Foyet lunged forward and locked the door, grinning at Aaron with bloodstained teeth. 

"Do you really need a gun to fight me, Colonel? Can't we handle this like real men, with our fists?" Foyet asked. Aaron raised an eyebrow. Foyet reached into his pocket and emptied himself of various knives. "See? Now its your turn." Aaron ignored Foyet's tone, although he was intrigued. He circled closer to Foyet. 

"Legs." He demanded. Foyet sighed and removed the blades hidden in his pants. "Shirt."

Foyet lifted his shirt and threw the gun away. He held his hands out to his sides. "Your turn, Colonel." 

Aaron narrowed his eyes, but set the gun down anyways.

"Are you afraid? Do you think you won't be able to handle me, Haley's killer?" Aaron growled at Foyet's provoking remark and removed the other guns and blades he had on him. He took off his vest, standing in front of Foyet in his black polo shirt and jeans. He felt bare, but copious amounts adrenaline and excitement coursing through his body made him apathetic. His body was aching for a fight. 

Aaron pounced, pushing Foyet to the floor and landing a killer right hook. Foyet groaned. Aaron took advantage of his pain to punch him in the gut a few times. 

The doctor bared his teeth and shoved Aaron away from him, the Colonel toppling back but easily rising to his feet. He was trained in hand-to-hand combat after all. 

Foyet ran at him, head-butting Aaron's stomach. The younger man would've laughed at Foyet's absurd attack if he weren't clutching his stomach. He grabbed Foyet's shoulder and hurled him onto the dining table. There was rapid knocking on the door again, probably Rossi wondering what all of the commotion was.

The doctor rolled off and fell to the ground in a heap. "It's a shame that Haley didn't fight back like this." Foyet taunted from his place on the floor. Aaron kicked him in the gut, his head swimming and his eyes burning. 

"Don't talk about her." Aaron warned, punctuating his sentence with another vicious kick. Foyet smirked through his pain.

"The bitch was pretty though. You should've heard her moans." Foyet claimed. He slowly sat up, crawling away from Aaron like a crab. "I only killed Haley's body, Aaron. You killed her a long time before that."

Aaron growled inhumanly and launched himself at Foyet, his body fueled by rage not blood. He kept punching Foyet until his fists were covered with blood. He was pulled away from the doctor by strong hands on his shoulders. His fists were still flailing, as if he was punching Foyet, but he knew that he was imagining punching himself for not being there to help Haley.

"He's dead Aaron!" Dave yelled. Aaron blinked and looked at Foyet's mangled face with a mix of horror and satisfaction. "He's dead." Dave repeated himself softly. Aaron's knuckles were stinging. He sucked on them to dull the pain, his eyes blank.

Aaron stood to his feet, bile rising in his throat. Dave stood by him with a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was grateful for the lack of questioning. 

"He was- he called Haley a- and I got so angry." Aaron said brokenly. It wasn't because he'd killed Foyet. It was because Foyet's words were true. He'd killed Haley. It was his fault.

"Shh." Rossi consoled him. "Did he say anything about Spencer?" Aaron shook his head.

"No...he didn't know anything else." He cradled his head in his hands. "Fuck." 

"Okay. We'll figure it out. Don't worry." Rossi assured him. Aaron could see Foyet's body being dragged out of the apartment. 

"I can't lose Spencer too." He said to Rossi. "Not him." 

The phone rang. 

"What?" Rossi snapped at his phone. "Really? When? Where? Were you able to trace it?" Aaron glanced at him curiously. Rossi's brow furrowed. 

"What's happened?" Aaron asked. Rossi's face was grave and worried. He muted the phone. 

"Spencer called 911. He left a message for you." 

* * *

 

* * *

When Spencer woke up, he grimaced at the drool on his face. Tobias was lying on the floor, still blissed out. Spencer shook off his disgust and sat up.

He realized with a start that his bonds were gone. He must've convinced Tobias to undo them in the early stages of the drug-induced haze, he deduced with a curious glance at the makeshift bandage around his arm. 

Spencer struggled to his feet, wobbling unsteadily. He hadn't walked in a long time. He scanned the room, eyes lighting up when he noticed the door.

Spencer tugged at the door handle, sighing in disappointment when he realized that it was locked from the inside. He rammed into the door with his shoulder, gasping at the pain that rocketed through him.

Tobias stirred. 

Spencer froze and determined exiting the shed to be a futile effort now that Tobias had partially regained consciousness. He could see the blond man struggling to open his eyes.

Spencer tiptoed around Tobias, grabbing the phone that was in the corner of the room, probably there for emergencies. There was a heavy layer of dust over it, indicating very infrequent use. 

He dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" 

"My name is Dr. Spencer Reid. I've been kidnapped by a man named Tobias Hankel." Spencer heard a wolf howl in the background.

"I'm trying to trace your call. Do you have any idea where you are, Dr. Reid?" 

"I heard a wolf." Spencer supplied helpfully. Tobias sat up.

"Spence?" His eyes widened when he noticed that Spencer was at the phone and his face contorted into an ugly expression.

"He's waking up. Come quick!" Spencer said urgently, his heart racing faster as Charles stood and stalked towards him. "No!" He whimpered.

"Dr. Reid? Dr. Reid? Tell me anything else you know. The call isn't being traced!" Spencer backed away from Charles, eyes widening when his back hit the wall. His breath was coming out in short gasps now that Charles was coming near him. 

"You little-" Spencer hurled the nearest object, a worn leather notebook, at Charles. It bounced off of Charles's chest but the man stopped, momentarily shocked by the object. Spencer took advantage of his distraction to gasp a final message into the phone, tears coming to his eyes.

"Aaron, if you hear this, just know that I love you very much. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm yours forever if you'll have me. Always yours. Always, Spencer." He whispered the last few words. Charles grabbed his hair and hurled him away from the phone, disconnecting the line.

** || End Chapter Ten || **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overdue shoutout to DarkJediQueen. Thank you for commenting on my story since the beginning :) Still can't believe you actually like it.


	11. Choices

The phone smashed against the wall, causing Spencer to flinch violently from his place against the wall. His lips were split and his hair was matter with blood from the collision with the wall. Charles's face softened for a mere second.

"You shouldn't have done that." Tobias said. Spencer whimpered when the blonde's face transformed again, back to Charles's furious expression. "You little shit."

Charles picked him up and wrapped his hands around Spencer's throat, choking him. Spencer felt dizzy and lightheaded and began to struggle, kicking Charles futilely. His face was turning blue.

This was it. He was going to die.

Charles released him abruptly, causing Spencer to fall to the ground in a heap. The young doctor coughed violently as he tried to clear away the mucus built up in his throat and get sweet oxygen again.

"You deserve this." Charles said ominously before ripping Spencer's pants off of him. The younger man sobbed and begged for forgiveness. "Shut up!" A heavy hand landed against his cheek.

Spencer screwed his eyes shut tightly as the sound of a zipper rang clear through the room. There was a hand on his hip, pushing him onto his hands and knees. Spencer tried to roll away but Charles smacked him again. His breathing became labored as Charles slowly pushed himself inside Spencer. 

Hot tears of shame and disgust (at himself and Charles) flowed down his face and pooled at his neck. Spencer screwed his eyes shut and gasped through the pain. Charles laughed in Spencer's ear at the doctor's whimper and pleas for mercy. 

Finally, Charles came inside of him and pulled out of his body, shoving Spencer to the floor. Spencer curled up into a tiny ball and hugged himself.

"You are filthy." Charles hissed. "No one wants you. Aaron doesn't want you." Spencer whimpered again.

"Say it." Charles demanded. Spencer's tears worsened. "Say it!"

"I'm filthy." The words rang true in his mind. "Aaron doesn't want me." He stammered. Charles cackled. 

"I'll make sure you don't forget it." He promised with a dark smile. 

Spencer was tied to the chair once again, his modesty covered by his underwear. 

Charles turned on the webcam.

* * *

* * *

The phone clattered to the ground. Aaron stared at the dingy gray wall of Foyet's disgusting apartment blankly. 

"Aaron?" He dimly registered Dave's voice in the background. Hands landed on his shoulders, shaking him lightly. 

Spencer. Spencer. Spencer.

"Oh my god." He finally whispered. He blinked fast, pushing away the tears that came forth.

"Aaron? What did Spencer say?" Dave asked. Aaron met his friend's chocolate brown eyes. His throat closed up. How could he face his friend after what he'd done? He'd just killed a man with his bare hands. And Spencer had been kidnapped and he hadn't been able to save him. 

"He said...he said that he loves me." Aaron replied after a few long minutes. "He was crying. He sounded scared." 

His mind reeled from the terror in Spencer's voice. His lover had been - and still was - fearing for his life. The thought propelled him into action.

He glanced towards Dave. The older man seemed at a loss for what to do or say. He looked exhausted and worried and scared.

"Come on Dave. Let's go to Hankel's house. There may be some clues there." He ordered softly. Dave nodded gratefully. "And Dave? Thank you."

The older man stopped and stared ay Aaron for a long while. He nodded shakily, clearly choked up. 

Aaron followed him out of the house, grimacing as he stepped over the black body bag that covered his Haley's killer. He was tempted to kick the bag again, just out of spite, but Spencer's smiling face appeared in his mind for reasons unknown to him. He could imagine his lover's face almost split wide open from the huge grin on his face, his white teeth gleaming and his eyes crinkled in the corners. It made Aaron's heart beat faster.

 

Once outside, the others stared at him with expressions ranging from fearful to worried to proud. He gave each of his team members a steady nod and climbed into the passenger seat of the van. As calm as he'd managed to get, he couldn't risk suddenly breaking down while driving. He knew that this state of peace he'd conjured was fake...it felt like he was moving through molasses underwater. 

"Where to?" Emily asked him with a sidelong glance.

"Tobias Hankel's house." 

* * *

 

The ride to Hankel's house was spent in terse, uncomfortable silence. Emily tried to chat with JJ and the others and succeded in making small talk about the weather and other trivial pursuits. She and the others skirted around any topic remotely related to Spencer, darting glances towards Aaron whenever one of them said something that reminded them of Spencer. The conversation was stilted and eventually halted completely when it was clear that Aaron would not participate.

Everything they said reminded him of Spencer.

The weather? Spencer loved watching the clouds. He'd come up with the most ridiculous shapes ever, although they were always accurate. Aaron mentally snorted, recalling one instance when they'd seen a mushroom-shaped cloud. Spencer had described it as a nuclear explosion or a very specific kind of broccoli, complete with a scientific name.

The cows? Spencer could name every single organ in a cow's body. He'd done that once to persuade Aaron to stop eating meat by telling him exactly where each type of meat came from a cow. Aaron grimaced at the thought. 

He didn't say any of this to the others though, content to revel in his memories, even though he knew that they paled in comparison to the reality. 

They arrived at a house - if it could even count as a house - at the edge of the woods, isolated. The small shack-like cabin was dilapidated and clearly had not been used for a long time. The paint fell of the exterior in little flurries, followed by the ominous creaking of the door. The team exchanged uneasy glances with each other.

Aaron steeled himself and approached the house first, carefully making his way up the porch steps. They shuddered under his weight, but remained steady nevertheless. Upon seeing that Aaron had arrived at the deck without injury, the others followed. Garcia lugged her laptop up the stairs with her, gasping when the stairs bent. 

"Garcia?" Morgan asked worriedly. The blonde looked up with wide eyes.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." She tossed a scared glance at Aaron. "Do I need to come in? Even the door looks like it's going to fall over any minute now."

"I'm afraid so." Aaron said morosely. "You'll need to check any of the technology that might be there." 

Garcia sighed. 

Aaron opened the door and turned his flashlight on. He couldn't see much, just a couple of pictures on the wall. He felt around the wall for a light switch, grimacing when his hand brushed against something distinctly damp and sticky on the wall. His fingers touched a light-switch shaped object and he sent a quick Hail Mary before flipping it up.

The room flooded with light and all of the team members squinted as they adjusted to the sudden influx of brightness. Aaron recovered first and surveyed the room with a critical eye. It was extremely messy, supporting his hypothesis that no one had lived here for a long time. The picture on the wall he'd seen earlier was of a young boy, probably Tobias Hankel. His blonde hair was covering his eyes and he looked distinctly unhappy.

Morgan spotted a computer in the corner and led Garcia to it. 

Aaron kept a hand on his hip as he went to the bookshelf. It wasn't full of books, but rather leather bound notebooks. He took one and tossed another to Dave. He flipped through the pages quickly. They looked like they were full of prose and poetry, nothing of much substance or pertinent to his quest.

"Aaron, what's on your hand?" Dave asked slowly. Aaron furrowed his brows and looked down. He'd almost forgotten about that. 

It was red, like blood. 

Aaron looked back at the wall, restraining a gasp at the dark stain on the flowery, greenish wallpaper. 

"Oh my god." He heard Emily say. He dropped the notebook and approached the wall, examining it more carefully. He grimaced and reached out to brush his fingers against the boards of the wall. One ridge was particularly large and he dug his fingernails into it before prying it loose with a grunt. Several more notebooks, some twenty or so, poured out at his feet. They looked worn and overused. 

Aaron bent down and picked one up. His fingers left red marks on the covers. He flipped to the first page. 

One Bible scripture filled the entire page.

_ Thou shalt not kill. Honor thy father. Thou shalt not kill. Honor thy father. Thou shalt not kill. _

__

Aaron shuddered at the implications of the spiky writing. He recalled Garcia telling him before that Tobias had been found at the scene of his father's death with a gun in his hands. Self-dense, the police claimed.

What had gone on in this house?

Aaron almost pitied Tobias, sympathizing with him. He shook his head vehemently. No. The man deserved no pity. 

Aaron glanced at the picture on the wall, taking in the sad eyes of the little boy.

The boy, though, he was another story. He deserved Aaron's empathy. No child should ever suffer through that. 

Aaron flipped the page, furrowing his brow as the same two phrases showed up again. Quickly leafing through the book, his eyes widened as he realized that the entire book was full of those seven words. 

"Hotch? I think you might want to see this." Morgan called hesitantly. Aaron put the book on the floor gently and went to Morgan's side, where the dark-skinned man held up two of the notebooks. 

"This notebook is full of legible, neat handwriting," Morgan began, gesturing to the book full of poetry, "and this notebook has dramatic shifts in handwriting."

Aaron took the notebooks and flipped through them for a while, eventually looking up to nod his confirmation. He sighed. 

"D.I.D." He proclaimed. Morgan nodded solemnly and Dave looked crestfallen. 

"What's D.I.D?" Emily asked.

"Disassociative Identity Disorder." Aaron answered shortly. 

"It makes someone have multiple personalities and they cannot differentiate between them." Dave elaborated, throwing a concerned glance towards his best friend. "Tobias Hankel probably has it."

"A progression from his bipolar disorder from when he was seventeen." Garcia confirmed, looking up from her laptop with a tremulous expression aimed towards Hotch. "Will Spencer be okay?" 

Dave shook his head after a moment. "Tobias is very unstable right now...there's no telling what he or any of his other personalities will do." 

Aaron turned away and grabbed one of the notebooks near the wall. His fingers flew as he rapidly read the book, discarding it when he found no pertinent information. The next two books yielded the same results - that is, no information whatsoever on where his lover could possibly be being kept by a deranged man. Aaron growled in frustration and threw the book against the wall. He held his head in his hands.

Dave laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and calmly picked up one of the books. He handed one to Aaron and gave him a significant look. 

Aaron leafed through the pages more slowly this time, pushing away any anger or sadness or fear that welled up inside of him at some of the gory descriptions written down. 

"I found something." He said, eyes trained on one sentence. 

__

_ The spirits watch me often.  _

"Hmm." Dave examined it more closely. "I think Tobias wrote this. Spirits?" 

"Maybe he's near a place of religion, like a church or something." JJ suggested. Aaron made a noise of supposition and continued to think.

"Oh my god!" Garcia exclaimed. Aaron and the others rushed to her side. 

"Penelope?! What's wrong?" Morgan questioned, his voice coated with fear and concern. 

Garcia held up one shaking finger, pointed towards the monitor. It had turned on by itself and now showed a picture - a video feed - of one Dr. Spencer Reid, tied up and naked and sitting on a chair with his head hung low and blood streaking his face. 

Behind him, Aaron could hear JJ retching and Emily sobbing quietly. His heart was pounding in his ears. Spencer was hurt, barely breathing even.

Spencer was hurt.

Spencer was hurt.

Spencer was _dying._

_ Spencer was still alive.  _

A man dressed in a black cloak stepped into the vision of the camera, slightly blocking Spencer from Aaron's view. 

"See these vermin? They are all sinners, just like you." The man demanded. "Choose one of them to die." 

"I won't." Spencer replied in a tremulous voice, tears streaming down his cheeks. He lifted his head. Aaron's heart beat faster. It had been so long since he'd heard his lover's voice and to hear it tainted with fear shifted the ground beneath his feet. 

"Choose." The voice was monotone, devoid of any emotion. It chilled Aaron's bones.

"No. I won't choose. You can't make me." Spencer replied stubbornly. Aaron knew he was all bravado, all bark and no bite. It seemed that Hankel knew that also.

He held up a gun to Spencer's head. Bile rose up in Aaron's throat. Garcia gasped.

"Choose one to live." The man demanded.

"Please." Spencer pleaded. The man made no noise. "The far right."

"Marilyn Matson." The man said, turning to face the camera. Aaron's fists clenched and he nodded at Garcia, who immediately called the police and called the Matson's. 

"Raphael will do his job now." The man proclaimed, and the camera shut off. 

* * *

* * *

Spencer sobbed for the families he had killed and the family he had saved, the one who would have to live with the guilt of surviving. 

He didn't know how long had passed before Raphael returned. The man fiddled with the computer on the table while Spencer watched him deliriously. 

"What did you do?!" Raphael - no, Charles - yelled at Spencer. The camera turned on and the monitor flickered to life. Charles grabbed a baseball bat from the corner of the room and struck Spencer hard in the stomach. "You told them to stop my message from spreading!" 

"What?" Spencer gasped out between shaky breaths. He raised his arms to defend himself Charles became more angered and roared, the bat reading back and landing on Spencer's arms. He could hear the bones shuddering from the assault. All of a sudden the blows halted and Charles stepped back. He gestured to the monitor.

"The seven archangels are watching us." Raphael said, significantly calmer. 

Spencer's throat closed up at the sight. There were a couple people whom he did not recognize, but were most likely part of Aaron's team. Emily and JJ were holding each other, eyes wide and blank. His heart ached for them. And Aaron.

Aaron looked murderous and fearful and lost. There were deep bags beneath his eyes and his hair was tousled. Spencer longed to kiss the bruise on his cheekbone and whisper assurances in his lover's ears. Everything will be okay, he'd say. 

But that was wrong. He was going to die. 

"Choose one to die." Raphael proclaimed. Spencer gasped and shook his head vehemently and frantically.

"No! I won't choose!" He exclaimed, bursting into tears at the sight of a gun raised and pointed at him. 

"Choose." Raphael ordered once again.

"I won't." Spencer repeated. The trigger clicked, revealing a blank. Spencer released a sigh of relief.

"Choose. Only six left." Raphael said, his face twisting into a very Charles-like expression.

Only six left. How aptly fitting. 

Spencer glanced back at the monitor and realized that they could see him too. An idea formed in his mind. He looked outside. Headstones. 

"Please forgive me Aaron." He murmured to himself, then steeled himself to look up at Raphael and only Raphael.

"I choose Aaron Hotchner." He said confidently. "He does not trust anyone, not even me, his lover." Spencer's voice broke at the last word.

"A man shalt not lie with another man as he would with a woman." Raphael stated. "He has sinned and thus he shall die." 

Tears leaked out of Spencer's eyes.

"And thus you shall die also." Raphael continued. 

He turned off the camera. 

** || End Chapter Eleven || **


	12. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your support and love! I adore all of you and I really enjoyed writing this. I hope you forgive me for the short length and possibly unsatisfying ending.

Aaron stared at the blank monitor. 

What the hell had just happened?

"Turn it back on, Garcia." He demanded the shocked blonde. Garcia snapped into action at Aaron's desperate yet cold tone. Her fingers flew over the keyboard rapidly. Aaron couldn't decipher what she was doing exactly, but that didn't really matter. All that mattered was that he could see Spencer again and ask him why the hell he wanted Aaron to die.

"Sir? I can't pull the feed up again because  its  disconnected and he's bouncing the IP address all over the place and I can't track it-" Garcia rambled nervously. Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose and refrained from snapping at her.

"But, Garcia?" He asked.

"I can replay the last five minutes." She whispered. Aaron sighed and nodded at her. Maybe...just maybe, that would give him some clues.

She replayed the feed once. Aaron couldn't keep his eyes off of Spencer, the way his expression smoothed over when he announced Aaron's name, the way he wrote Aaron's death note with ease and almost relief. Didn't he know how much Aaron loved him, how much he had done to just get a glimpse of Spencer? Why was he so ungrateful?! Didn't he know that Aaron trusted him? They'd gone through that whole blindness exercise for a reason-. Wait.

"Sir?" Garcia asked. The monitor was at the end of the feed again, frozen on Spencer's teary face. 

"Zoom. Zoom in on his fingers." Aaron stammered, hardly able to contain his excitement. Garcia nodded and did as he bid. Dave glanced at him curiously.

"Play the feed again." Aaron demanded. Aaron blocked out the words that Spencer was saying and listened to his fingers, speaking in a language known to all spies and assassins, and apparently also to one genius research scientist with an IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory. 

"Fucking hell." Dave swore as they watched the feed again. "You didn't tell me he knew Morse Code." He accused Aaron.

"I didn't know either." The Colonel breathed out in reply, his heart singing from relief.

"Do you mind translating what he said for those of us who don't understand Morse code?" JJ asked politely.

"Cemetery. 1900's maybe. And then, after some hesitation," Dave looked to Aaron at that point. 

"Sorry." Aaron finished. He was still staring at Spencer's tear-streaked face. 

"Okay. I can find some cemeteries that have been around since the 1900s and have open fields nearby?" Garcia phrased the statement more like a question, only doing so after she received affirmation from Aaron. She turned away from the two men and immediately buried her head in her laptop.

"Okay. That's good." Dave said to Aaron. "It's good Aaron. Spencer knows you trust him." 

"How can you be sure?" He asked bitterly. "I haven't even told him I love him yet." Dave gave him a patient and sympathetic look.

"He knows, Aaron, I promise you." Aaron restrained a scoff. 

"I found it!" Garcia exclaimed. She pointed to a little green area on the map. "Marshall Cemetery. I sent the coordinates to your GPS." Aaron had begun running even before Garcia finished her sentence. 

Morgan and Dave joined him at their SUV. The trio dashed off towards the cemetery. Aaron's grip on the steering wheel tightened painfully and his knuckles paled further every minute that past.

* * *

* * *

Raphael's grip on Spencer's arm bruised him as he was roughly dragged outside of the shack. He struggled futilely, twisting and turning and trying to get away.

"Stop." Raphael demanded. For one of the first times, his face twisted into an irritated expression, a slight narrowing of his eyebrows that seemed so pronounced on the usually emotionless face.

Well, emotionless when it was Raphael that is. The opposite applied for Charles and Tobias. 

"Please. Please let me go." Spencer pleaded. He despised the hot tears spilling from his eyes. "I promise I'll never sin again - I'll go to church every Sunday, every day even!"

"Liar!" Raphael - Charles's face contorted into an ugly expression. He hurled Spencer onto the ground, the slight man rolling down the hill they'd reached. Spencer lay back on the grass with a groan, feeling bruises beginning to form on his naked back. He shivered as a breeze passed over him and goosebumps rose up on his skin.

Raphael stood over him, holding out a small shovel. "Get up." 

Spencer struggled to his feet and tried not to collapse. He was so tired. His bones ached from the exhaustion they felt in their cores. He took the shovel from Raphael.

"Dig." Raphael ordered, crossing his arms. Spencer bent down and did so; he dug slowly, his arms aching and his legs shaking from the effort of standing after not having done so in a long time.

"Faster!" The demand scared Spencer and he shrunk back, whimpering slightly. When would Aaron come? Did he even understand the message? And if he did, would he come? 

The thought of  Aaron not loving him anymore, Aaron not wanting him anymore, terrified Spencer. He couldn't imagine not seeing Aaron when he woke up. He couldn't imagine not being able to hold Aaron or hug him or feel his warm, built body against Spencer's. He needed to feel Aaron's arms around him, holding him close and safe.

But he didn't deserve that now. He was dirty, spoiled, disgusting, and so much worse. Filthy.

A strong shove pushed Spencer onto the hole he'd been digging - his grave, he realized with a sick sense of horror. Charles stood in front of him and aimed that horrifying gun at his face. Spencer shuddered and closed his eyes; he tried to think of Aaron. He didn't want his last sight to be of this monster.

And then the dogs started barking. Loudly.

* * *

* * *

Aaron practically jumped out of the car in his haste. His body was thrumming with excitement and anxiety and adrenaline and red-hot anger. Once he got his hands on that man - no, monster Hankel...a shark-like grin appeared on his face, causing Dave to give him an alarmed look.

"Ready, Aaron?" Dave asked with a raised eyebrow. Aaron cocked his machine gun in response, the sound of it loud and final and very well representative of Aaron's dark desires. "I guess so."

"The dogs are ready." Morgan stated.

The trio set off in different directions, each with their own dogs. Aaron's heart pumped fast as he stumbled around through the woods, for once in his life feeling blind. He felt blind without his lover and the thought of seeing Spencer again was like giving water to a starving man.

Dave's dog started barking loudly.

"I hope so." Dave asked, giving a sidelong glance to Aaron, whose face was set in a grim expression.

The dogs had smelled blood.

* * *

* * *

"Fuck." Charles swore, turning to the side to gage how far away the dogs were. Spencer mentally thanked Aaron for his strictness in self-defense lesson as he swept his legs through Charles's feet, knocking the older man onto the ground. Spencer lurched forward and grabbed the gun from Charles's open palm; he stood on shaky feet, the gun sweaty in his palms. He knew how to handle it, of course, but the thought of hurting another person, even someone like Hankel made his blood curdle.

Spencer looked off into the distance where he could see the faint light of a flashlight. Charles was trying to get to his feet.

Spencer fired the gun, then collapsed to the ground as his legs gave out.

* * *

* * *

Aaron's running sped up when he heard the gunshot. Spencer. Spencer. _Spencer._ __

All he could think of was his lover. Was he safe? Did he get hurt? Who shot the gun?  _ Was Spencer alive? _

His heart almost stopped when he arrived at the bottom of the hill and saw Spencer's prone body slumped next to Hankel's. Morgan and Dave caught up to him, faces flushed from the exertion and adrenaline.

Aaron carefully approached his lover, shrugging out of his coat when he realized that Spencer was naked. He crouched next to Spencer's body, smiling softly. Spencer was alive. He glanced over at  Hankel  and restrained a gasp when he saw the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. His lover had pretty good aim, he thought proudly.

"A-Aaron?" A soft voice called out. Aaron's breath hitched at hearing his lover's voice for the first time after so long. A wave of emotions crashed over him as helped Spencer to his feet and handed him his coat. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, laying a gentle and hesitant hand on Spencer's shoulder.

Spencer paused and turned to him; Aaron flinched at the ghostly paleness of Spencer's face, the haunted look in his eyes. His lover was a living waif. The younger man suddenly lurched forward and threw himself into Aaron's arms. If it were not for Spencer's next words, Aaron would've thought that his lover had finally passed out. What he said though, warmed Aaron's heart.

"I knew you'd understand." Spencer sobbed. Aaron shushed him softly. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Aaron asked, confused. Spencer looked away, abashed. "Don't worry. You have nothing to be sorry about. You had to kill him."

"I love you." His lover stated. Aaron beamed and kissed Spencer's forehead, wrapping his arms around the younger man and holding him to his chest tightly.

"I love you too, Spencer." 

_ More than you'll ever know. _

** || End Always, Spencer|| **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel? Let me know what you want!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
